ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece says it has begun eliminating police involvement in handling asylum claims by illegal immigrants, following complaints by human rights groups.
A minister in charge of police signed a government order Friday, August 6, to reorganize the processing procedure, allowing hand-over to civilian control at a later date, according to a ministry statement.
Amnesty International last month sharply criticized Greece for routinely imprisoning asylum seekers with legitimate claims.
The human rights group also expressed concern that unaccompanied children are often locked up.
Tens of thousands of illegal immigrants arrive in EU-member Greece each year, mostly reaching Aegean Sea islands from the nearby coast of Turkey.
