The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has expressed its concern over recent actions by Greek authorities involving the arrest, detention, mandatory HIV testing, publication of photographs and personal details, and pressing of criminal charges against at least 12 sex workers, according to a UNAIDS statement. In addition to initiating criminal prosecution against HIV-positive sex workers for intentional gross bodily harm, Greece has raised the concerns of UNAIDS because of immigration legislation adopted in April that appears to provide for automatic detention of migrants and asylum-seekers who have an infectious disease, or who belong to a group at high risk of infection, without consideration of whether they pose an actual risk. This could include sex workers, injection drug users and HIV-positive people. UNAIDS says there is no evidence that punitive approaches reduce HIV transmission among sex workers and their clients.

To read the UNAIDS statement, click here.