If lawyers, who remain unpaid by the Asylum Service under the Ministry of Migration and Asylum despite the European Commission’s allocation of the relevant funds, continue to go unpaid, the strike will persist, stated Dimitris Vervesos, President of the Athens Bar Association, during a press conference.
Specifically, the major issues faced by lawyers providing services within the Asylum Registry were highlighted by the President and Vice President of the Athens Bar Association, Dimitris Vervesos and Michalis Kalantzakopoulos, along with council member Chrysoula Marinaki, particularly focusing on the non-payment issue that has lasted over a year.
It was once again emphasized that lawyers working in the Asylum Registry have not been compensated from November 2023 to the present.
It was also highlighted that the funds primarily come from the European Union, yet the ministry prioritizes payments to contractors and suppliers rather than to lawyers who, according to international conventions Greece has ratified, are required to provide free legal aid at the appeals stage for asylum seekers.
Furthermore, it was noted that these lawyers are still required to pay VAT, social security contributions, and income tax on amounts that have not been paid to them. They are also forced to settle non-overdue debts to the Public Revenue Service and the National Social Security Fund (EFKA) in order to obtain the necessary tax and social security clearances requested by the service.
During a meeting between a delegation of the Athens Bar Association and the General Secretary of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, Manos Logothetis, the latter committed to settling the outstanding payments to the lawyers promptly, though an exact payment date has yet to be established.
In parallel, it was mentioned that the Athens Bar Association has already announced a strike by lawyers from duties within this service, and a decision on this matter is forthcoming from all Bar Associations in Greece.
As a result, it was added, the Greek state will be unable to fulfill its obligations arising from EU law and international conventions.
Present at the press conference were also Vice President of the Athens Bar Association, Marinetta Gounari-Hatzisarandou, and board members Dimitris Anastasopoulos, Georgios Vlachos, Eugenia Kouniaki, and Christina Pelka.
