The Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) sent a letter on September 8, 2004, to national government agencies to inform all parties involved and to emphasize that to date only one trafficking victim, Olga B, has received a residence permit. Applications submitted by trafficking victims are still pending, despite some being submitted nearly a year ago. GHM also made reference to the fact that Olga B. has not received her work permit. Acting as the legal representative of the interested victims, GHM has highlighted some of the problems in previous letters to government offices, including to the Office of the Secretary-General to the Ministry of Interior, but none have replied.
GHM asserts "it is obvious that, notwithstanding any explanations regarding the current problems, the Presidential Decree 233/03 on the granting of immediate assistance to victims remains inapplicable, one year later. On the other hand, the state gives the impression that it limits itself to announcing measures but does not intervene to solve the problems arising from its own (in)action, problems whose resolution, i.e. granting permits to recognized victims, is a matter of a few days, provided that there is the will to crack on bureaucracy."
In the letter, GHM requested that the recipients take appropriate measures in order to immediately award all pending permits.
Cited from: Press Release: Residence and Work Permits Not Issued to Trafficking Victims in Greece, Greek Helsinki Monitor, 8 September 2004.