Discrimination against the Children Refugees: Greece Still Uses the Black Book

The Greek customs authorities rejected my entrance into the country because my passport said that I was born in the village of Statica, and not in Melas, which is the current Greek name, stated Done Dimov, an Australian citizen.

Greece continues with its policy of discrimination against the children refugees, not allowing them to visit their hometowns in northern Greece.  On August 24^th, Done Dimov, an Australian citizen was rejected entry into the country.

“The border official told me that the village of Statica does not exist in Greece and that according to Greek Government regulations he could not grant me entrance and that I had the right to file a complaint wherever I wished.  Even if I wanted to change the name of the village in my passport, it would not be possible because I arrived in Australia with documentation, which clearly stated that I was born in Statica, Greece.  For me to change the name of my place of origin, the Greek authorities will need to issue me a birth certificate, but they wouldn’t even let me cross the border,” said Dimov.

Dimov said that, as soon as he went back to Australia, he would file a suit with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg against Greece for its violation of his basic human rights.

“I am an Australian citizen; I will also file a complaint with the Australian authorities, because I believe my entrance was denied due to my activities with the Macedonian Diaspora in fighting for our rights.  I am a supporter of Vinozito in Greece and OMO Ilinden in Bulgaria, and thus I have been put on the black list,” says Dimov.

Gjorgji Donevski, secretary general of the Committee of Organizations of Ethnic Macedonians Expelled from Greece, said that the topographic names issue was resolved between Macedonia and Greece by citing Greece on the passport as a place of birth.

“As an organization, we advised the children refugees to seek birth certificates from Greece.  So far about 1,000 have done so and some have received positive responses.  Under the laws of 1982 and 1985, citizenships can only be granted to ethnic Greeks who escaped during the civil war.  We filed a suit in Strasbourg in hopes that Greece will revoke these discriminatory laws, so that people can go back to their old homes and claim their property and other rights,” stated Donevski.

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