Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-04-19-Speech-4-581-000"
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"en.20120419.23.4-581-000"2
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"Madam President, the immigration situation in Greece reveals much about the general situation. Policies of economic and social inequality, repression, blatant discrimination, exploitation and terror are just some aspects of the picture. Immigrants are being detained
in terrible conditions, deprived of even the basic requirements, and occasionally fall victim to police violence and humiliating treatment. Of those who are not detained, most live in conditions of social exclusion, with no potential for social integration. They fall victim to violence and racism and to exploitation by gangs and employers.
In the run-up to the elections, injustice and misconceptions are on the increase. The State is using immigrants as scapegoats for the crisis, making them the target of general despair and anger about plummeting living standards. They are being painted as a public health hazard and as common criminals. Xenophobic rhetoric is being stepped up and arrests and ‘clean-up’ operations are being carried out, as if we were talking about rubbish. In the last quarter of 2011 alone, 60 violent racist incidents were reported in Athens and they are spreading and have increased recently, with even minors taking part.
The State bears serious responsibility, as does the European Union. We hope that the solidarity to which the minister referred earlier will stop being a mere slogan and will be put into practice, with an instrument that Europe can use to offer assistance to countries which, either due to their geography or for other reasons, are unable to cope with the waves of immigrants that the current global situation is forcing to seek a better future in Europe, a solidarity that should be global, that should use economic resources and supportive technical assistance to examine applications and create better screening centres. The European Union must decide on and prove which is its real face: is it fanatic and fearful or is it an area of equality and peaceful coexistence. The second path may be the more difficult, but it is what we want and what we must seek."@en1
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