Greece
29.09.03
Urgent Interventions
Greece: Open letter to Mr. Constantine Simitis, Prime Minister
OPEN LETTER TO MR. CONSTANTINE SIMITIS, PRIME MINISTER OF GREECE
Geneva, September 29th 2003
Mr. Prime Minister,
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM), a member of the OMCT network, of the current difficulties faced by the 14 Roma children, who are living in the Roma settlement of the Spata Municipality, in being able to attend primary school.
OMCT believes that the difficulties faced by these children are representative of the failure by the authorities to honour their commitments towards the 22 Roma families who were compulsorily relocated in October 2000 to what was termed a ‘model settlement’. Despite what was promised by the authorities, the Roma settlement still has no electricity connection. Running water is transported daily to the settlement, stored in plastic tanks and does not always cover the resident's needs. This situation unfortunately highlights a lack of vigilance and political will towards the implementation of the positive policies announced by your government, towards which the Prime Minister’s Office for the Quality of Life has shown a commendable and sustained devotion.
OMCT would like to bring your attention to the fact that on September 11, 2003, 14 Roma children living in the settlement could not attend their first day of school, in spite of the guarantees given by the authorities on June 5, 2003. Indeed, on that day, the Mayor of Spata, representatives from the Ministry of Education, from the Eastern Attica Prefecture and from the Prime Minister’s Office for Quality of Life agreed that a school bus will be chartered in order to transport them to the 3rd Primary School of Spata (see Minutes of the Meeting, document compiled by the Greek Ombudsman’s office Ref. No. 11211/01/16-7-03). Moreover, none of the competent authorities had reportedly verified whether their commitment for a chartered school bus had been materialised. As a result, some parents interrupted their work and carried their children to school.
Following pressure exercised by GHM, a contract was signed to charter a school bus on September 12, 2003. A press release by the Mayor of Spata also confirmed that on Monday September 15, 2003, the school bus would pass by the Roma settlement. However, on that day, the bus did not show up. Following new efforts and further pressure, the parents were reassured that the school bus would go to their settlement on Tuesday September 16, 2003. On that day, the bus went to the wrong place, as no official had made sure that the bus company was properly informed of the route. Eventually, the bus arrived at 10:30 am to the school with all children on board. However, at the same time, the bus company informed GHM that the Roma settlement was difficult to reach as the road was dangerous and in a bad condition and that it would therefore have to examine whether its bus could drive all the way to the settlement on a daily basis. It has subsequently told GHM that it does not expect the bus to be able to reach the settlement on days with bad weather as the 1,5 km bumpy road leading to it is barely useable when the road is dry.
OMCT is very concerned about this situation as transportation constitutes a crucial element for the Roma children’s school attendance. The Roma settlement is located 5 kilometres away from the last house of Spata Municipality. There is no public transportation to and from the settlement and people have to use a dusty and unpaved road of 1.5 kilometres to reach it. The distance from the Municipality makes it virtually impossible for the Roma children to reach school without transportation.
In this respect, it is also important to note that since the Roma have been compulsory relocated in October 2000 to this settlement, children’s school attendance has remained a recurrent problem. The children who were attending the primary school were forced to drop out as they were not provided with transportation, as required under national regulations. Art. 1 of the Joint Ministerial Decision of the Minister of Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization, Minister of Finance, Minister of Education and Religious Cults (Ref. No IB/607126-8-98). When this issue was brought to the attention of the Greek Ombudsman’s Office in the summer of 2001, the competent State authorities invoked the fact that no children had been enrolled as an excuse for not providing them with a school bus. However, according to the information received, 8 Roma children were enrolled at that time. In 2002, due to the lack of transportation, Roma parents did not enroll their children for the new school year, considering that it would be of no use.
In view of these considerations, OMCT hopes that your Government will take immediate measures to ensure that Roma children get regular transportation form their settlement to the primary school in the Municipality of Spata. OMCT also hope that adequate measures will be taken in order to implement other commitments made on June 5, 2003 by the Mayor of Spata, representatives from the Ministry of Education, from the Eastern Attica Prefecture and from the Prime Minister’s Office for Quality of Life according to which Roma children be provided with school items.
OMCT also hopes that your government will immediately provide public utilities (i.e., water, sanitation, electricity, etc.) to the Roma community in Spata, as required under Article 3 of the Sanitary Provision, A5/696/25.4-11.5.83, amended by the 23641/3.7.03, Joint decision by the Minister of Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization, the Minister of Health and the Minister of Environment (published in Government Gazette No 973 B’, July 15, 2003) and in accordance with General Comment No. 15 of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on the right to water.
We thank you in advance for your careful consideration of this matter, and remain,
Yours Sincerely,
Eric Sottas
Director
Geneva, September 29th 2003
Mr. Prime Minister,
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM), a member of the OMCT network, of the current difficulties faced by the 14 Roma children, who are living in the Roma settlement of the Spata Municipality, in being able to attend primary school.
OMCT believes that the difficulties faced by these children are representative of the failure by the authorities to honour their commitments towards the 22 Roma families who were compulsorily relocated in October 2000 to what was termed a ‘model settlement’. Despite what was promised by the authorities, the Roma settlement still has no electricity connection. Running water is transported daily to the settlement, stored in plastic tanks and does not always cover the resident's needs. This situation unfortunately highlights a lack of vigilance and political will towards the implementation of the positive policies announced by your government, towards which the Prime Minister’s Office for the Quality of Life has shown a commendable and sustained devotion.
OMCT would like to bring your attention to the fact that on September 11, 2003, 14 Roma children living in the settlement could not attend their first day of school, in spite of the guarantees given by the authorities on June 5, 2003. Indeed, on that day, the Mayor of Spata, representatives from the Ministry of Education, from the Eastern Attica Prefecture and from the Prime Minister’s Office for Quality of Life agreed that a school bus will be chartered in order to transport them to the 3rd Primary School of Spata (see Minutes of the Meeting, document compiled by the Greek Ombudsman’s office Ref. No. 11211/01/16-7-03). Moreover, none of the competent authorities had reportedly verified whether their commitment for a chartered school bus had been materialised. As a result, some parents interrupted their work and carried their children to school.
Following pressure exercised by GHM, a contract was signed to charter a school bus on September 12, 2003. A press release by the Mayor of Spata also confirmed that on Monday September 15, 2003, the school bus would pass by the Roma settlement. However, on that day, the bus did not show up. Following new efforts and further pressure, the parents were reassured that the school bus would go to their settlement on Tuesday September 16, 2003. On that day, the bus went to the wrong place, as no official had made sure that the bus company was properly informed of the route. Eventually, the bus arrived at 10:30 am to the school with all children on board. However, at the same time, the bus company informed GHM that the Roma settlement was difficult to reach as the road was dangerous and in a bad condition and that it would therefore have to examine whether its bus could drive all the way to the settlement on a daily basis. It has subsequently told GHM that it does not expect the bus to be able to reach the settlement on days with bad weather as the 1,5 km bumpy road leading to it is barely useable when the road is dry.
OMCT is very concerned about this situation as transportation constitutes a crucial element for the Roma children’s school attendance. The Roma settlement is located 5 kilometres away from the last house of Spata Municipality. There is no public transportation to and from the settlement and people have to use a dusty and unpaved road of 1.5 kilometres to reach it. The distance from the Municipality makes it virtually impossible for the Roma children to reach school without transportation.
In this respect, it is also important to note that since the Roma have been compulsory relocated in October 2000 to this settlement, children’s school attendance has remained a recurrent problem. The children who were attending the primary school were forced to drop out as they were not provided with transportation, as required under national regulations. Art. 1 of the Joint Ministerial Decision of the Minister of Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization, Minister of Finance, Minister of Education and Religious Cults (Ref. No IB/607126-8-98). When this issue was brought to the attention of the Greek Ombudsman’s Office in the summer of 2001, the competent State authorities invoked the fact that no children had been enrolled as an excuse for not providing them with a school bus. However, according to the information received, 8 Roma children were enrolled at that time. In 2002, due to the lack of transportation, Roma parents did not enroll their children for the new school year, considering that it would be of no use.
In view of these considerations, OMCT hopes that your Government will take immediate measures to ensure that Roma children get regular transportation form their settlement to the primary school in the Municipality of Spata. OMCT also hope that adequate measures will be taken in order to implement other commitments made on June 5, 2003 by the Mayor of Spata, representatives from the Ministry of Education, from the Eastern Attica Prefecture and from the Prime Minister’s Office for Quality of Life according to which Roma children be provided with school items.
OMCT also hopes that your government will immediately provide public utilities (i.e., water, sanitation, electricity, etc.) to the Roma community in Spata, as required under Article 3 of the Sanitary Provision, A5/696/25.4-11.5.83, amended by the 23641/3.7.03, Joint decision by the Minister of Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization, the Minister of Health and the Minister of Environment (published in Government Gazette No 973 B’, July 15, 2003) and in accordance with General Comment No. 15 of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on the right to water.
We thank you in advance for your careful consideration of this matter, and remain,
Yours Sincerely,
Eric Sottas
Director