Migrant Inclusion Council
Help Centre starts work …
It is early morning, 8.00 am. You are just leaving home. You find your road is blocked by police jeeps. They demand your papers. You produce your papers. You don’t have your driving licence with you. It is back at your house. They tell you to leave your car and walk back. The road is blocked. Now you are late for your appointment. You take out your phone to call. The police take your phone – “No calls!” You go home. They go with you. You open the door to fetch the document they want. Now there are more than 6 armed policemen. They barge their way into your home. There is no more talk of driving licences. They call for a sniffer dog. The dog jumps on the furniture and on your bed. They pull out drawers. The contents are tipped on the floor. In this way they search the house and the garden. After one hour the house has been turned upside down. They give no explanation. They show no Search Warrant.
You keep trying (in Greek if you can speak it, otherwise…) to get them to explain why they are here. What do they want? What are they looking for?
Eventually you are told someone has made an allegation against you – something about drugs. You are told their action is perfectly legal because a Judge is with them.
Finally the nightmare ends with you being told to sign a form (in Greek of course) – a document which you are told states that nothing illegal has been found on your premises. They take away a box of plant seeds and a jar of the Chinese ingredient monosodium glutamate and leave.
How would that make you feel? What would you do?
Unfortunately this was not a nightmare. It actually happened here in our Municipality.
Those who suffered this unnerving experience contacted the newly established Migrant Inclusion Council. Set up by the Municipal Council of Apokoronas with the support and advice of the Immigration Law Institute, the
Migrant Inclusion Council is determined to ensure that this behaviour ends and ends now.
We need to build a picture – is this an isolated event? Has anything similar happened to you?
After proper investigation, we will publish some advice and guidelines as to what we should do in such situations.
In this way some good may come from what must have been a terribly frightening experience.
Under the professional guidance of Mr. Miltos Tsekouras, the Migrant Inclusion Council has established a Help Centre on Thursdays from 10.30 – 12.30 at the former Town Hall of Vamos. Foreigners resident in Apokoronas are encouraged to visit us to report similar problems and get help with other issues. Pete Sheppard, recently elected as the representative of the EU Communities, will be on hand to listen and record your issues. After consultation with experts, you will receive a first response within 24 hours.
We need to provide support at the time. From Monday 27th May, the Migrant Inclusion Council will operate a 24 Hour Emergency Helpline so that no one needs to face the above nightmare alone ever again.
The 24 Hour Emergency Helpline number is 6944449471.
You may wish to put this number in your phone – just in case!
The equipment and some procedural and administrative costs must be paid by the Migrant Inclusion Council (the Municipality has no money!) and we are working on a membership scheme with an annual subscription of 5 euros to cover it. More of that very soon!
We must keep the line for EMERGENCIES ONLY. You can get help with other problems by coming to the Help Centre on Thursday mornings between 10.30 – 12.30 or by emailing us on [email protected]
You keep trying (in Greek if you can speak it, otherwise…) to get them to explain why they are here. What do they want? What are they looking for?
Eventually you are told someone has made an allegation against you – something about drugs. You are told their action is perfectly legal because a Judge is with them.
Finally the nightmare ends with you being told to sign a form (in Greek of course) – a document which you are told states that nothing illegal has been found on your premises. They take away a box of plant seeds and a jar of the Chinese ingredient monosodium glutamate and leave.
How would that make you feel? What would you do?
Unfortunately this was not a nightmare. It actually happened here in our Municipality.
Those who suffered this unnerving experience contacted the newly established Migrant Inclusion Council. Set up by the Municipal Council of Apokoronas with the support and advice of the Immigration Law Institute, the
Migrant Inclusion Council is determined to ensure that this behaviour ends and ends now.
We need to build a picture – is this an isolated event? Has anything similar happened to you?
After proper investigation, we will publish some advice and guidelines as to what we should do in such situations.
In this way some good may come from what must have been a terribly frightening experience.
Under the professional guidance of Mr. Miltos Tsekouras, the Migrant Inclusion Council has established a Help Centre on Thursdays from 10.30 – 12.30 at the former Town Hall of Vamos. Foreigners resident in Apokoronas are encouraged to visit us to report similar problems and get help with other issues. Pete Sheppard, recently elected as the representative of the EU Communities, will be on hand to listen and record your issues. After consultation with experts, you will receive a first response within 24 hours.
We need to provide support at the time. From Monday 27th May, the Migrant Inclusion Council will operate a 24 Hour Emergency Helpline so that no one needs to face the above nightmare alone ever again.
The 24 Hour Emergency Helpline number is 6944449471.
You may wish to put this number in your phone – just in case!
The equipment and some procedural and administrative costs must be paid by the Migrant Inclusion Council (the Municipality has no money!) and we are working on a membership scheme with an annual subscription of 5 euros to cover it. More of that very soon!
We must keep the line for EMERGENCIES ONLY. You can get help with other problems by coming to the Help Centre on Thursday mornings between 10.30 – 12.30 or by emailing us on [email protected]
The Migrant Inclusion Council
starts work...
Yesterday (Monday) the members of the proposed Migrant Inclusion Council met at the Town Hall in Vrysses. The objective of the meeting was to prepare a proposal for the Municipal Council concerning the membership and the first projects of the Migrant Inclusion Council. It is proposed that there will be 5 members to start with. Vice-Mayor Stelios Michelakis, Councillor Stratos Saridakis and Councillor Kostas Vrontakis will represent the Municipality. Ardian Lushej of the Albanian Community will represent the non-EU Communities and Peter Sheppard will represent the EU Communities.
As the work progresses, more Community Representatives will take their places on the Council.
Mr. Miltos Tsekouras, a consultant from the Immigration Law Institute, will attend as an adviser.
Three immediate projects were identified
1. A Population Profile of the migrants of Apokoronas. We need to know the numbers and characteristics of each community.The aim of this project is to identify problems and challenges to be addressed.
We are all asked to complete the profile questionnaires when they are published.
2. Lessons in the Greek Language. A provider has been identified who, with EU Funding, will teach Beginners’, Intermediate and Advanced Greek classes. The Classes will be at no cost to the participants. It is important that the lessons will be practical, will involve speaking skills, will have clear objectives and defined methods of evaluation.
Classes will be held at venues convenient for the majority of people who express an interest. Keep a look out for more details!
3. A Help Centre is to be established in the former Town Hall of Vamos. Migrants will be encouraged to bring their problems to the attention of volunteers there.
Volunteers will be asked to commit 2 hours a week to provide this service. It will be a question of listening, recording and, where necessary, referring issues and problems to those able to help.
Pete Sheppard had this to add
“This is an important opportunity for all the migrant communities of the Municipality. I believe the Council is genuinely committed to help us with our problems and to make sure that the Council Services, which we all pay for, meet our requirements. Our part of the bargain is to do what we can to make these projects successful.”
As the work progresses, more Community Representatives will take their places on the Council.
Mr. Miltos Tsekouras, a consultant from the Immigration Law Institute, will attend as an adviser.
Three immediate projects were identified
1. A Population Profile of the migrants of Apokoronas. We need to know the numbers and characteristics of each community.The aim of this project is to identify problems and challenges to be addressed.
We are all asked to complete the profile questionnaires when they are published.
2. Lessons in the Greek Language. A provider has been identified who, with EU Funding, will teach Beginners’, Intermediate and Advanced Greek classes. The Classes will be at no cost to the participants. It is important that the lessons will be practical, will involve speaking skills, will have clear objectives and defined methods of evaluation.
Classes will be held at venues convenient for the majority of people who express an interest. Keep a look out for more details!
3. A Help Centre is to be established in the former Town Hall of Vamos. Migrants will be encouraged to bring their problems to the attention of volunteers there.
Volunteers will be asked to commit 2 hours a week to provide this service. It will be a question of listening, recording and, where necessary, referring issues and problems to those able to help.
Pete Sheppard had this to add
“This is an important opportunity for all the migrant communities of the Municipality. I believe the Council is genuinely committed to help us with our problems and to make sure that the Council Services, which we all pay for, meet our requirements. Our part of the bargain is to do what we can to make these projects successful.”
The Migrant Inclusion Council
The Municipal Council has issued the following announcement
Municipality of Apokoronas
Notice
The Municipality of Apokoronas following the decision of the Municipal Council on the 1st April 2013 in order to proceed to the establishment of a Migrant Inclusion Council ( under Article 78 of the Kallikratis Law 3852) calls the migrant residents of the Municipality to come on Thursday 25th April at 7.00pm to the Council Chamber in the Town Hall of Apokoronas on Vrysses to elect their representatives to this Council.
Applications to be Candidates for these representatives are to be submitted by people from other countries who have the right to participate in this election to Mr. Milto Lagarakis at the former Town Hall of Vamos (Telephone 2825083724) between the hours of 08.00 and 14.00 on working days.
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The Municipal Council has agreed to include in the membership of Migrant Inclusion Council a representative of the EU citizens permanently resident in the Municipality of Apokoronas.
Municipality of Apokoronas
Notice
The Municipality of Apokoronas following the decision of the Municipal Council on the 1st April 2013 in order to proceed to the establishment of a Migrant Inclusion Council ( under Article 78 of the Kallikratis Law 3852) calls the migrant residents of the Municipality to come on Thursday 25th April at 7.00pm to the Council Chamber in the Town Hall of Apokoronas on Vrysses to elect their representatives to this Council.
Applications to be Candidates for these representatives are to be submitted by people from other countries who have the right to participate in this election to Mr. Milto Lagarakis at the former Town Hall of Vamos (Telephone 2825083724) between the hours of 08.00 and 14.00 on working days.
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The Municipal Council has agreed to include in the membership of Migrant Inclusion Council a representative of the EU citizens permanently resident in the Municipality of Apokoronas.