Deportations before trials for illegal immigrants

The Justice ministry is trying to solve the difficult problem of hyper congestion in Greek prisons, announcing changes to the legislative scheme for judicial expulsion of illegally immigrants in the country.

In an effort to decongest the country’s prisons, Justice minister Miltiadis Papaioannou, announced that he has already set up a special working group for "the study and treatment of modifications in the existing legal system for judicial expulsion and implementation of sentences for immigrants who are to be expelled."

The formation of the group (which must file its proposals by 15/10/2011 without its members receiving any compensation) was deemed necessary, given the problems that were identified in the current legal status combined with the obstacles placed in deportations of aliens residing illegally in the country with prosecutions or enforcement of penalties pending against them.

The statistics for the country's prisons from 2003 to 2009 paint a clear picture of the situation. They show a rapid increase of foreign prisoners, who about a couple of years ago exceeded the 50% of all the inmates in the country.

More specifically, data on prisoners in the country between 2003-2009 are as follows:

Year                                            2003    2004    2005    2006    2007      2008      2009

Number of inmates                     8418    8726    8722    9964    10370    11645    11736

The figures for foreign prisoners in Greek prisons, during the same years are as follows:

Year                                              2003    2004    2005    2006    2007      2008      2009

Number of inmates                       3858    3708    3704    4281    4695      5622      6078

Based on this information and from calculations for 2010 and 2011, it is clear that the problem is growing. In fact, the Justice ministry reported cases of immigrants who can be expelled but have a penalty for illegal entrance pending against them. It also refers to cases of immigrants who remain in prisons because it is not possible to deport them, thus aggravating the country’s already overburdened prison system.