[ALBSA-Info] Kathimerini

[Agron Alibali]

Kathimerini
Commentary
Passports in the classifieds

By G.G. de Lastic
The classified ad recently published in the
broad-circulation Russian daily, Kommersant, leaves no
room for doubt. Its title alone says it all:
"Arrangements for Greek nationality documents and
passport delivery with help from Greece's Foreign
Ministry." The Moscow-based office which advertises
this invaluable Greek commodity promises its clients
"safety and secrecy" and a "free sojourn in Europe."
It also claims that it employs "lawyers working in
Greece's public sector." Furthermore, it refers to the
public sector using words which in Russian translate
as "State Department," hence leading our would-be
fellow citizens to think that the lawyers at the
office actually work for the Greek Foreign Ministry.
The insolence and feeling of impunity of these
fraudsters is such that the classified ad includes a
full postal address, telephone, fax, web page and
e-mail address.

Russian newspapers are full of such advertisements
referring to Greece, complain Greek migrants in
Scandinavian countries who also sent us the above ad.
They are desperate because the publication of such
advertisements has resulted in their repeated
humiliation and harassment. Greek passports are
gradually losing their credibility. Each time they try
to pass the borders of a European country - by car,
what is more - police authorities separate Greeks from
other travelers, force them to wait for half an hour,
an hour or more until their passports have been
checked by experts on fake passports, and generally
behave as if Greek travelers were potential
false-passport holders. 

Greece has to put an end to this situation. It is
unacceptable that any Russian crook is free to publish
such ads and embroil the Greek Foreign Ministry, which
is failing to respond and protect the status of Greek
passports abroad. The government must combat this
problem effectively and abandon delusions that it can
tackle the issue by sacrificing democratic liberties
to the Schengen accord or by referring the issue of
passports to a corruption-ridden police, awakening
repellent memories of previous dark times.
 
 


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