[Manolis Lagoutaris/AFP]
How the Mitarakis register excludes NGOs
Inside story sets out one by one the gray and non-transparent areas of the Greek legislation for the NGO Register on immigration. The Council of Europe warns of possible arbitrariness while the European Commission assesses the compatibility of the legislation with Community law. This is the second part of the NGO Registry dossier.
[Manolis Lagoutaris/AFP]
Multiple organizations working in the field of immigration and refugees interpret the current very demanding framework for registration in the national NGO register as an attempt to undermine their independence and create obstacles to their ability to provide services to people in need.
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In brief
Dozens of NGOs operating in Greece in the field of immigration and the refugee crisis feel widespread confusion, misunderstanding and uncertainty about the continuation of their operation and the possibility of maintaining their access to those in need. The reason is the very complicated registration process for the register of the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum and the de facto inability of some to comply with all the requirements of the current Joint Ministerial Decision. At the same time, the Council of Europe's Council of Experts on NGO Law warns of the possibility of arbitrary rejection of applications for registration and certification of entities and members due to vague, highly selective and open criteria by decision-makers who are not independent from the government. According to a recent survey, applications