Health is a fundamental right

Generation 2.0 RED co-signed the letter by the Greek Forum of Refugee and the Greek Forum of Migrants entitled “Health is a right for all. Immediate access to the vaccination process for those who do not have papers”. The letter is addressed to the Deputy Minister of Health, the Secretary General of Primary Health Care and the Chairman of the National Vaccination Committee. It was first sent on June 23 and re-sent on July 7, 2021, with the support of 30 human rights organizations. Below you can read the letter:

To: Deputy Minister of Health, Mr. Vassilis Kontozamanis,
Secretary General of Primary Health Care, Mr. Marios Themistokleous
Chairman of the National Vaccination Committee, Ms. Maria Theodoridou

Immediate access to the vaccination process for undocumented people

Throughout the last year and a half, the Covid19 pandemic has affected widely the everyday life of people all over the world, resulting in the mandatory adaptation of all of us to this new reality. Currently, the vaccination process of the general population is the
most important tool we possess in order to deal with the pandemic and constitutes the main way out of the health crisis. All of us must have access to this essential tool regardless of identity, race, ethnicity. Regardless of origin and legal status.

The health crisis has affected us all indiscriminately, however, it has mainly affected the most vulnerable groups, asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and most importantly, people without legal documents. The latter is the most vulnerable group of people, as they do not have the ability to register online for the process of vaccination and so far there is no provision for their vaccination. This situation constitutes an urgent need of finding a solution for this vulnerable group since the issue of public health concerns us all in the context of the protection and the preservation of human life.

Everyone should gain access to the vaccination process. At this given moment, the aforementioned social groups are facing serious problems regarding the vaccination process and at the same time, shortcomings concerning the information given to them
about the necessity as well as the possibility for them to get vaccinated are identified.

This is the reason why we propose the conduct and execution of a targeted information campaign aiming at the refugee and migrant population, in which we should state our support and availability. The way out of the pandemic can only become possible by our
common will and the inclusion of all of us.

We demand immediate and all-inclusive access to the vaccination process for all social groups without exception, especially for the most vulnerable ones. Health is a fundamental right for everyone, which entails that an organized and coordinated State is obliged to perpetually defend and secure it.

Yours sincerely,
The Greek Forum of Refugees & the Greek Forum of Migrants

With the support of:
1. ActionAid
2. Action for Education
3. ARSIS – Association for the Social Support of Youth
4. Babel Day Center/ Κέντρο Ημέρας Βαβέλ
5. Danish Refugee Council DRC
6. DIOTIMA
7. ECHO100PLUS
8. Equal Rights Beyond Borders
9. Europe Must Act
10.Fenix – Humanitarian Legal Aid
11. Generation 2.0 RED
12.Greek Association of People Living with HIV “Positive Voice” / Θετική Φωνή
13.Greek Council of Refugees
14.Hellenic League for Human Rights (HLHR)
15.HIAS Greece
16.HumanRights360
17.International Rescue Committee (IRC)
18.INTERSOS
19.INTERSOS Hellas
20.Irida Women’s Center
21.Jesuit Refugee Service Greece (JRS Greece)/ Υπηρεσία των Ιησουιτών για τους
πρόσφυγες
22.Lesvos Solidarity
23.Médecins du Monde – Greece/ ΓΙΑΤΡΟΙ ΤΟΥ ΚΟΣΜΟΥ- ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ
ΑΝΤΙΠΡΟΣΩΠΕΙΑ
24.Mobile Info Team
25.Network for Children’s Rights/ Δίκτυο για τα δικαιώματα του παιδιού
26.Odyssea
27.PRAKSIS
28.Refugee Rights Europe (RRE)
29.Solidarity Now
30.Symbiosis-School of Political Studies, Council of Europe Network /
Συμβίωση-Σχολή πολιτικών σπουδών στην Ελλάδα, Δίκτυο Συμβουλίου της
Ευρώπης