The Catholic Church's Caritas charity in Greece has warned that new austerity measures, agreed between the left-wing government and European Union, will throw more people out of work and spur the flight of foreign companies, as well as worsening the plight of refugees and asylum-seekers from the Middle East and Africa.
"Unemployment continues to grow, particularly young Greeks who see no prospect for taking their lives into their own hands," said the Caritas spokeswoman, Sophia Espinosa. "Hopes that recent EU decisions will facilitate everyday life are also low, since the austerity measures and tax increases aren't linked to an investment programme."
The charity worker spoke as the left-wing Government of premier Alexis Tsipras predicted a new deal with international creditors would go ahead by late August, despite a sharp fall in Greek share prices when the Athens stock index reopened on Monday after a five-week closure.
She told Germany's Catholic news agency, KNA, that many foreign companies had already relocated to neighbouring Bulgaria, while the government lacked resources to cope with a five-fold increase in refugees and asylum-seekers so far this year. "They are brought from the islands to Athens and then left to fend for themselves," Espinosa said. "Although help is provided by NGOs, it's quickly clear to them that they have no hope of a better life here. They therefore aim to travel on to Northern Europe as quickly as possible."
EU finance ministers agreed a new €86bn bailout in mid-July to save Greece's faltering economy, in return for draconian spending cuts and higher taxes, despite the rejection of austerity in a 5 July national referendum. Although the controversial deal was later approved by the Greek parliament, despite violent street protests, it was criticised by some Catholic leaders, including Archbishop Sevastianos Rossolatos of Athens, who said he doubted it would improve the life of Greece's Catholic minority.
"Everyone in our Church has been affected, wherever they are - with state taxes and duties consuming half of all our resources, parish life is being slowly devastated," Archbishop Rossolatos told The Tablet in an interview. "At this critical time, when people are living in terrible conditions, all we can hope for is that some lasting agreement finally takes shape."
The Catholic Church makes up just three per cent of Greece's population of 11 million, and was forced to close most of its charitable projects after a 48 tax rise in 2013. In her KNA interview, Espinosa said Church workers were still feeding 350 people daily at a soup kitchen in Athens, and distributing some food and clothing to refugees, as well as helping pregnant women and mothers of small children. However, she added that it was increasingly difficult to organise aid at a time when the Church could no longer pay its own employees.
Greece's predominant Orthodox Church replaced the director of its Brussels office last week in protest at EU attitudes, in what local media said was a sign of its imminent closure.
Above: Unemployment and poverty in Greece are set to increase, according to Caritas. Photo: CNS/EPA
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