Η ΑΓΓΛΙΚΗ ΠΡΟΚΗΡΥΞΗ ΤΗΣ YRE ΓΙΑ ΤΙΣ 20 ΦΛΕΒΑΡΗ

Join the antiracist protest Saturday 20 February, 15.00pm, Omonoia Demonstration to the parliament and antiracist concert WE DEMAND OUR RIGHTS! Ιt was too good to be true. This is how legal immigrants and their children felt late December when the government released a preparatory bill dealing with the granting of Greek citizenship and voting rights to immigrants and started a “public dialogue”. One and a half months later the final bill submitted to parliament is mirroring Nea Dimokratia, LAOS and the demands of the racists! In reality the bill is not for granting basic democratic rights to those of us that really deserve them, but it represents a whole series of obstacles raised to stop us from having access to our rights! For children’s rights They divide our children in 4 categories: 1) Those born here that will get the citizenship if only BOTH parents have a legal stay for the last 5 years. 2) Those raised here that will get the citizenship under 2 conditions: a) both parents have a residence permit for at least 5 years b) they have completed successfully 6 classes of Greek school. 3) Those –born or raised here– who are over 18 years old that will get the citizenship under 4 conditions: a) if they have proven legal stay b) if they have graduated from 6 classes of Greek school c) if after two years of having to wait they can prove that they have a clear record not only in relation to serious crimes but also for misdemeanors like …helping or accommodating undocumented immigrants, signing a false statement etc!! d) if after been checked it is established that they are “not a threat to public and national security” 4) Those that irrespective of whether they are born or raised or graduated here, they still have no access to any right at all because their parents (or themselves) have no legal stay!! Practically they exclude the huge majority of the 250.000 immigrant’s children from Greek citizenship! Children with parents that lost their status (140.000 according to interior ministry lost their legal stay because their bosses did not pay their IKA!), or did not have any status at all, are discriminated against. The same goes for children that have one parent documented and one undocumented, or those that did not graduate 6 classes of Greek school! We demand citizenship for all immigrant children, irrespective of whether they’re born or raised here. For the naturalization process The whole, so called “naturalization process” is like a minefield. True the years of legal stay before applying have been reduced to 5 (plus, however, 2 years waiting for final decision!!) but the list of requirements has become longer and tougher! a) paravolo 1.000 euros b) good knowledge of the Greek language c) knowledge of modern political history of Greece d) recommendation letters by 3 Greeks e) written exams for language, Greek history and Civil Action f) clear record not only from felonies but also from misdemeanors (as mentioned above) g) special police report that somebody is not a threat for “public and national security” h) submition of a long list of certificates that provide a picture for the social and economical profile of the applicant (tax and insurance clearance, assets, family status, graduation titles, etc). We demand the reduction of the paravolo to 100 euros and the withdrawal of the written tests and the police reports. Only serious crimes should be an obstacle to obtaining citizenship.

For voting rights The bill gives voting rights to immigrants but only for local elections and denies them the right to stand as candidates for the position of mayor or vice mayor. Immigrants eligible are those that hold a long term permit (5years) or an indefinite residence, and those married with Greeks, or with political or humanitarian asylum. The ministry of Interior says the total number of these immigrants is 65.000. We say this is too low. We demand full voting rights after 5 years of legal stay, without exceptions for all elections. We don’t accept the divisions that this government is creating: legal immigrants with some democratic rights, others with less, undocumented immigrants with no rights at all! We must unite to fight for our rights! We must join forces with Greek workers and antiracists to fight against poverty and unemployment, and to stop the attacks that the government is planning against our living standards. Organizers: YRE-CWI, immigrant’s communities, antiracist organizations, trade unionists, left parties