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Four people are hospitalized and 233 are on the brink of starvation after 26 days of hunger strike. The immigrants, who began the hunger strike, seeking to legalize all illegal aliens working in Greece, continue to starve by drinking only water and sugar. Today the building on Patisia Blvd, where the immigrants are staying, was visited by representatives of the Network of Women from the European Left Party and the deputy chairwoman of the party Maite Mola, who expressed their solidarity with immigrants’ demand for legalization. On the occasion of this visit, the MEP of the Greek party SIRIZA, Nikos Houndis, also visited the immigrants and expressed his concern for their health and lives and called for urgent action by the government. 

"The condition of the immigrants is on the brink. After 26 days of hunger strike their health and lives are in danger. Finally, the government should show interest and give a solution before it is too late. The struggle of the starving immigrants has attracted dozens of MEPs. MEPs from different countries of the European Union and other parties apart from the left - socialist and ecological, signed a petition in their support, which means that their struggle has a broad support," said Nikos Houndis. "The Greek government should immediately tackle the problem and all together we need to fight for a different immigration policy in the European Union, which gives equal rights to people who come here, live next door and have been working in the country for years, as are the strikers," the MEP added. 

"Most of the immigrants who are here are ten kilos lighter than before, have cramps and sore muscles, because they do not eat. Dozens of them are so weak that they cannot take on enough fluids. With these symptoms, six of them were sent to a hospital. Two of them came back, four remained in the hospital. One of them will not be able to continue the strike, because he has a serious heart problem. In the upcoming days, tens of them will have to be admitted to hospitals because of dehydration and mainly because of problems with an organic disease which can lead to irreversible damage the body. Much sooner than anyone might imagine, we will be on the verge of humanitarian catastrophe," said Dr. Thanassis Karambelis, who daily monitors the health status of the immigrants. 

"The government should quickly satisfy their just demands. This is its obligation, as there is an EU directive, which should be implemented into the Greek law. This Directive bans illegal work and this is the claim of the strikers - to be given their documents and not to be objects of exploitation. By covering the black market jobs, the government not only violates the rights of foreign workers, but also those of Greeks, because foreigners undercut the wages by working illegally for less money," adds Karambelis. 

The doctor said that people bring water and sugar daily to the Hepatiya building and they show real interest in the health of the immigrants. He said the conditions are not very good because the toilet located inside the building is locked and the immigrants, who have difficulty moving, must go outside, where there are mounted chemical toilets. Since the beginning when the immigrants entered the building of the Foundation Hepatiya, the "Red Cross" gave them tents and blankets, and also installed two showers, where they can bathe. Dr. Karambelis denied the claims that the building on Patisia Blvd is a “health threatening bomb" for society, because immigrants do not suffer from any flu or other viral or infectious diseases…only their lives are in danger because of the strict hunger strike. 

The owner of the building on Patisia Blvd, where immigrants are staying, is businessman Konstantinos Routsounis and his wife Hrisantia, who is a pediatric surgeon and activist. They generously provided the building, which was recently renovated, to resolve the problem with hunger striking immigrants. The doctor, who monitors the health condition of the immigrants said that the owner, originally gave the building for 15 days and is now being patient because strike continues for longer than stipulated. Vima newspaper reported that the building owner has tried to find bigger apartment and in late January he had found a 1600 sq.m. building in downtown Athens, insured there is electricity, hired a company to clean it and all of that with his own funds. According to the newspaper article none of the official representatives of the government has looked at the new proposal by Routsounis and, according to an informal statement by Dr. Karambelis, the immigrants have not been informed about this proposal. 

Meanwhile, the government prepares new legislation, which will allow many immigrants who have failed to renew their residency documents, to do so. The Labor Ministry has already sent an ordinance to the Law Commission, under which the number of days of paid health insurance, will be reduced for the year, in order to make it easier to have the opportunity to update all residence permits. In the upcoming days, the parliament will discuss an European directive, which provides penalties for employers who employ illegal immigrants and do not insure them. Furthermore, the centers where immigrants are sent right after crossing the border, will be able to immediately provide the necessary documents and permits. There it will be determined whether the immigrants fulfill the criteria for refugees or are entitled to stay only for three to six months, or they have to be sent back to their homeland. When these procedures complete, it is suggested that around 500,000 legal immigrants will remain in Greece, says Vima newspaper.