Casualties

The last new casualty of mines/explosive remnants of war (ERW) was identified in the Hellenic Republic (Greece) in 2012. In January of that year, local media reported that an Albanian man was injured by an explosive item said to be an antipersonnel mine in the forest along the Ioannina-Kakkavos national road.[1] The last casualties identified before 2012 were four mine casualties in 2008.[2]

Between 1999 and 2012, the Monitor identified at least 109 landmine casualties (66 killed and 43 injured); the majority of casualties were non-Greek citizens. Between 1954 and 2007, at least 31 deminers were killed. From 1954 to 2002, 17 military personnel were injured in clearance operations.[3] The vast majority of casualties were migrants and asylum seekers entering Greece through border areas. The head of the clearance battalion reported that some 187 non-Greek citizens had been injured between 1995 and early 2007.[4]

Victim Assistance

There is no report on the total number of mine/ERW survivors living in Greece.

In 2008, during a visit to Evros prefecture, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe reminded Greece that “the authorities must provide a prompt and generous assistance to all mine victims, especially migrants.”[5]  Some support has been provided to survivors, but the Monitor found no evidence of full rehabilitative assistance made available to all known survivors. Any available victim assistance was abandoned when the economic crisis in the country began in 2009.[6]

There were no economic reintegration opportunities or psychological support for survivors..[7] Survivors with “humanitarian refugee”status may be eligible for a small disability benefit. Survivors living without clear residency status relied on sporadic contributions from state institutions or public donations.[8]

Greece has legislation that protects the rights of persons with disabilities in employment, education, access to health care, access to buildings, and in the provision of other government services. Legislation is enforced, but access to buildings for persons with disabilities remains difficult.[9]

The main coordination body regarding disability policy at the national level is the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (since 2015 the Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity), which is in charge of social protection, policy for assessment of disability, and pensions. The Ministry of Health regulates policy related to healthcare as well as the organization of health and social care establishments.[10] However, as described earlier, most landmine victims in Greece are asylum seekers or illegal immigrants who face precarious situations and therefore cannot always access services.[11] Policy changes announced in early 2015 indicated the possibility of increased access to health services for asylum seekers in the future.[12]

Greece ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 31 May 2012.