Yay. Greece ! They gave instant citizenshio to a quarter-million kids

[SoCalDem]

These are kids of immigrants who were "stateless" The parents did not/don't qualify for citizenship, but the Greek government thought it unfair to punish their children who are "growing up Greek". they see this as a possible way to help end discrimination.

the article below is from when they decided to "do" it..and apparently today they finally did it... I could not find an article of today's news (from BBC)


Greek socialists to grant citizenship to migrants' children
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/21/greece-citizenship-immigrant-children
Incoming government rolls back immigration policy long condemned by international organisations

* Helena Smith in Athens
* guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 21 October 2009 18.10 BST

A generation of migrant children who were born and raised in Greece but never officially recognised will be granted Greek citizenship, the newly elected socialist government has announced. The step – part of a wide-ranging overhaul of immigration policies long condemned by international organisations – could affect up to 200,000 children who though Greek in everything but name have never been afforded nationality. "This country can no longer go on being a hell for migrants," said Michalis Chrysochoidis, the minister in charge of the newly created citizens' protection ministry. Human rights activists say the measure will overturn a "surreal" situation where children whose immigrant parents have legally settled in Greece are treated as "aliens" with no rights at all. "Absurd is too light a word to describe the lot of these kids," said Petros Papaconstantinou, a prominent anti-racism spokesman. "Even if born in Greece, even if they attend Greek schools and speak only Greek, which invariably is the case, on paper they don't exist at all."

Without official documentation the children were often subject to abuse, arrest and deportation at the age of 18, he said. "There are children whose parents are from Africa, Asia and countries like Albania who are enrolled at schools across Greece but who have no papers whatsoever. In Europe this is unique." Under the reforms, unaccompanied children held in overcrowded detention centres will also be released. In recent months there have been a series of rebellions in migrant camps on Lesbos and other Aegean islands, often led by minors protesting against poor living conditions.

snip

Following the death of a Pakistani immigrant in police custody in Athens last week, the socialists also plan to integrate immigrants into the police and place psychologists at stations nationwide.

[baldguy]

1. Imagine what the wingnuts would say if we tried such compassion & humanity here?

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Compassion and humanity are socialism...and we don't want any of that here in the good ol US of A!!

:mad: :puke: :wtf: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[Mariana]

4. We already do, and the wingnuts hate it.

"A generation of migrant children who were born and raised in Greece..."

Of course, in the US we already recognize children born in the US as citizens regardless of the status of their parents, with very few exceptions for particular circumstances. The wingnuts call such children "anchor babies" and would like them to be deported and to have their citizenship revoked.

[pampango]

2. Nice to see a socialist government dealing humanely with "illegal immigrants". n/t

[Touchdown]

5. Oh' that's all those kids need. The Government permission to throw dinner plates on the floor.

:applause: