To: Deputy Minister of Health, Mr. Vassilis Kontozamanis,
Secretary General of Primary Health Care, Mr. Marios Themistokleous Chairman of the National Vaccination Committee, Ms. Maria Theodoridou
Throughout the last year and a half, the Covid19 pandemic has affected widely the everyday life of people all over the world, resulting in the mandatory adaptation of all of us to this new reality. Currently, the vaccination process of the general population is the most important tool we possess in order to deal with the pandemic and constitutes the main way out of the health crisis. All of us must have access to this essential tool regardless of identity, race, ethnicity. Regardless of origin and legal status.
The health crisis has affected us all indiscriminately, however, it has mainly affected the most vulnerable groups, asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and most importantly, people without legal documents. The latter is the most vulnerable group of people, as they do not have the ability to register online for the process of vaccination and so far there is no provision for their vaccination. This situation constitutes an urgent need of finding a solution for this vulnerable group since the issue of public health concerns us all in the context of the protection and the preservation of human life.
Everyone should gain access to the vaccination process. At this given moment, the aforementioned social groups are facing serious problems regarding the vaccination process and at the same time, shortcomings concerning the information given to them about the necessity as well as the possibility for them to get vaccinated are identified.
This is the reason why we propose the conduct and execution of a targeted information campaign aiming at the refugee and migrant population, in which we should state our
support and availability. The way out of the pandemic can only become possible by our common will and the inclusion of all of us.
We demand immediate and all-inclusive access to the vaccination process for all social groups without exception, especially for the most vulnerable ones. Health is a fundamental right for everyone, which entails that an organized and coordinated State is obliged to perpetually defend and secure it.
Yours sincerely,
The Greek Forum of Refugees & the Greek Forum of Migrants
With the support of:
1. ActionAid
2. Action for Education
3. ARSIS – Association for the Social Support of Youth
4. Babel Day Center/ Κέντρο Ημέρας Βαβέλ
5. Danish Refugee Council DRC
6. DIOTIMA
7. ECHO100PLUS
8. Equal Rights Beyond Borders
9. Europe Must Act
10.Fenix – Humanitarian Legal Aid
11. Generation 2.0 RED
12.Greek Association of People Living with HIV “Positive Voice”
13.Greek Council of Refugees
14.Hellenic League for Human Rights (HLHR)
15.HIAS Greece
16.HumanRights360
17.International Rescue Committee (IRC)
18.INTERSOS
19.INTERSOS Hellas
20.Irida Women’s Center
21.Jesuit Refugee Service Greece (JRS Greece)
22.Lesvos Solidarity
23.Médecins du Monde – Greece
24.Mobile Info Team
25.Network for Children’s Rights
26.Odyssea
27.PRAKSIS
28.Refugee Rights Europe (RRE)
29.Solidarity Now
30.Symbiosis-School of Political Studies, Council of Europe Network