Overview of Human Rights in Greece

Greece is a constitutional republic and multiparty democracy. The government works to respect the civil and human rights of the majority of its citizens; however, there were a few violations reported in recent years.

Security forces are known to use brutality against suspects, illegal immigrants and refugees. Refugee camps were found to be below international standards, with some to the point of squalor. Prison conditions were also found to be harsh and overcrowding is becoming more common in the general prison population.

The government and authorities are known to discriminate and abuse ethnic minorities, especially Roma (Gypsies). Sub-standard living conditions, lack of access to educational and health services, and a marked lack of protection from the authorities are all situations Roma have to live with on a daily basis. There are legal limits on the freedoms of association and speech of ethnic minorities as well.

The government is also known to monitor the conversations and movement of human rights activists as well as ethnic and religious minorities.

Human Development Index (HDI) Rank:

24th out of 177

Note: Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures the level of well-being of nations in the world. It uses factors such as poverty, literacy, life-expectancy, education, gross domestic product, and purchasing power parity to assess the average achievements in each nation. It has been used in the United Nation’s Human Development Report since 1993.