Greek Council for Refugees

The European Court of Human Rights is urging Greek authorities to hold off on deporting a Pakistani national who was due to be sent back to Turkey, from where he had traveled to Greece.

The man, whose name has not been publicized for his own protection, is being held at a migrant detention center on the island of Lesvos.

Greece's highest administrative court is expected to rule later this month on whether Turkey can be considered a safe country for refugees being returned under a deal with the European Union.

The Council of State's plenary on Friday heard arguments based on the appeal of two Syrian nationals whose asylum applications were rejected by the Greek Asylum Committee.

Legal experts are in disagreement about the potential benefits of a new legislative amendment allowing migrants without residence permits to be hired to work on farms as day laborers without full social insurance.

Amnesty International and the Greek Council for Refugees have welcomed a government decision to halt the indefinite detention of migrants held under return orders, following an announcement made by Alternate Minister for Citizens? Protection Yiannis Panousis in Parliament earlier in the week.

Workers at the Greek Council for Refugees have issued a statement saying that they have not been paid for six months.

The employees claim that the government has not released the necessary funds for programs run by the organization even though two-thirds of the costs are covered by the European Union.

The council provides assistance to asylum seekers and refugees.

The owner of a strawberry farm in Nea Manolada in the Peloponnese is due to stand trial on Friday along with three foremen who are accused of shooting at dozens of migrant workers in 2013.