Greece tightens controls in the Evros river area. Reports from international organizations denounce the increase in abuses and violations

In response to the displaced emergency caused by the earthquakes that destroyed south-eastern Turkey and northern Syria, killing at least 50,000 people, Greece has further fortified its borders. According to the associations, hundreds of border guards have begun patrolling the Evros region, which has long been the scene of systematic and illegal pushbacks, to stop migrant people.

The denunciation of the Global Detention Project. According to the dossier, of the four million refugees that Turkey welcomes, almost two million live in the provinces directly affected by the earthquake. In some places, people confined to the centers have been transferred to places outside the seismic zone. In other affected areas, however, these transfers have not taken place and it is not clear whether the authorities have made any assessments to verify the safety of the buildings that welcome the migrants. The earthquake also triggered anti-migrant sentiments especially towards Syrian refugees, limiting their access to emergency assistance. On 1 December 2022, the Greek authorities confirmed that Turkey remained on the list of safe third countries for asylum seekers also coming from Syria.

Escape by sea. And although it is considered a safe country, people continue to escape from Turkey via the Aegean Sea or the eastern Mediterranean. On 23 February a boat with 22 people was rescued in Samos, but there are four missing. On March 1, at least two people were killed and another missing after a rubber dinghy capsized off the northeastern coast of Kos in eastern Greece. According to UN data, at least 378 people died in the eastern Mediterranean during 2022.

The rejections. Aegean Boat Report documented 25 cases of pushbacks between 20 and 26 February 2023. Pushbacks are an illegal practice systematically practiced by the Greek government, denounces the latest report of the Greek Refugee Council. For which the push-back operations and the consequent attack on those who try to defend the rights of the victims are not isolated cases but the unofficial policy of migration and border control implemented by the government.

The strengthening of the Greek border. At the second European conference on border management hosted in Athens on 24 February, the Greek minister for migration and asylum, Notis Mitarachi, confirmed that the country’s border will be strengthened, with or without EU funding. And he added that it is “a choice of national importance, necessary for migration policy”. The Greek government has also announced the purchase of 50 new vessels for the Hellenic Coast Guard – known for its role in systematic push-backs – at a cost of 105 million euros co-financed by the EU to strengthen “the control and monitoring of illegal immigration flows”.

Abuses and violations. Three reports published by Border Violence Monitoring Network, Mobile Info Team And I Have Rightsthree different NGO working in Greece, contain details on the detention of migrants in the country and paint a picture of systematic abuse and use of violence by the police.

The Border Violence Monitoring Network report. Out of 50 migrants interviewed, 33 of them, or 65 per cent, said they had experienced or witnessed violence by the security forces while in detention in Greece. People interviewed by the organization mentioned the use of weapons, including tasers, and the abuse of violence as a punishment. People have testified that they were beaten, kicked, sometimes by several agents at the same time, outlining a picture made up of torture and inhuman and degrading treatment, prohibited by the European Convention on Human Rights.