{"id":30762,"date":"2021-03-16T16:05:14","date_gmt":"2021-03-16T14:05:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.arsis.gr\/?p=30762"},"modified":"2021-03-16T16:05:14","modified_gmt":"2021-03-16T14:05:14","slug":"announcement-illegal-pushbacks-lives-at-risk-ngos-under-prosecution-investigations-on-pushbacks-at-the-eu-level-targeting-of-those-highlighting-them-in-greece","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arsis.gr\/en\/announcement-illegal-pushbacks-lives-at-risk-ngos-under-prosecution-investigations-on-pushbacks-at-the-eu-level-targeting-of-those-highlighting-them-in-greece\/","title":{"rendered":"ANNOUNCEMENT Illegal pushbacks, Lives at risk, NGOs under prosecution: Investigations on pushbacks at the EU level, targeting of those highlighting them in Greece"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In the past year, we have become witnesses of an escalation in the number of reported refugee and migrant pushbacks from the Greek borders (land and sea) to Turkey[1]<\/a>, in the context of the broader harshening of the European Union\u2019s political stance vis a vis<\/em> the management of the Refugee Issue, since the EU-Turkey Statement was adopted[2]<\/a>. Without undergoing registration, without access to the asylum procedure or any other legal procedure, men, women and children who have just entered and\/or are already in the country seeking protection are summarily, violently and indiscriminately returned to Turkey, in violation of any notion of national, European and international law. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The modus operandi<\/em>, under which these incidents are reported to occur,\nplaces frequently in danger the lives of refugees and migrants and includes the\nuse of physical and psychological violence against them. Particularly at sea,\nthere are reported incidents where refugees and\/or migrants are arrested,\nevidently, by the Greek security forces during their attempt to access the\nterritory or after they have already disembarked on Greek shores, and after\nbeing violently embarked on sea rafts, are abandoned in the sea area between\nGreece and Turkey or even on uninhabited islands[3]<\/a>,\nwith their lives being in direct danger. Furthermore, during incidents that have\nrecently come to light, the victims had allegedly already been admitted to\nreception facilities, before being found in the same forcible way in the middle\nof the sea, at night, to be rescued by the Turkish authorities.[4]<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In several of these incidents, it has been reported that FRONTEX\nforces, which remain inactive or at times allegedly provide support and\nassistance to reported pushback incidents, were present or at least aware[5]<\/a>. However, for these alleged practices of\nFRONTEX, investigations are already underway by OLAF[6]<\/a>, as\nwell as by a Working Group of the European Parliament[7]<\/a>.\nBy\ncontrast, in what regards the alleged practices of the Greek authorities, there\nhas been no sufficient and effective investigation whatsoever[8]<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In spite of the systematic reports and complaints that are brought to public light[9]<\/a>, in spite of interventions by the National Commission for Human Rights[10]<\/a>, and of appeals by UN agencies[11]<\/a> and Council of Europe Bodies[12]<\/a> to end informal forced returns and the use of violence against refugees and migrants at Europe\u2019s borders, the Greek government persists in downplaying any relevant publication as fake (fake news)[13]<\/a>, instead of countering the protection of the borders from attempted entries that are guided by the Turkish authorities[14]<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This reaction is also combined with the systematic defamation of NGOs and those working with them, particularly on the islands. It results in the targeting of organisations, employees and volunteers who support asylum cases, denounce rights violations, pushbacks or simply provide humanitarian relief. It creates a generalized state of mistrust, which incites attacks by racist groups which, while lynching, harassing and injuring employees and citizens that show solidarity, have attacked NGO facilities through arsons and vandalism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, the Greek authorities are publicly attacking organizations that bring to light the aforementioned practices, as well as anyone who might dare provide assistance to refugees either during the attempted entry into Greece or even after they have disembarked on the Greek shores, indiscriminately relating them with migrant smuggling networks[15]<\/a>. Recently this practice has concerned targeted publications on investigations against organizations that systematically publicize reports on pushback incidents[16]<\/a>. The investigations concern allegations of facilitating entry to the territory, setting up a criminal organization for the purpose of smuggling migrants, at times espionage, and are governed by a veil of secrecy, while no one is aware if they are conducted under the supervision of judicial authorities. Organizations have even been targeted by the Minister of Migration himself, as organizations that have set-up migrant smuggling networks with the aim of facilitating their entry to the territory, as early as from their countries of origin. Coincidentally, the organization to which the competent Minister referred to by name during a press briefing on 8 December 2020[17]<\/sup><\/a>, happens to be the organization that has publicly denounced the aforementioned pushback incidents from inside the Greek state\u2019s facilities (on 18 February 2021 from Megala Therma, in Lesvos, and on 8 September 2020 from the RIC of Samos)[18]<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, the Greek Government has set a disproportionately strict operating framework for those organizations wishing to support refugees and migrants in the country, through the existing register of Non-Governmental Organizations. It should be recalled that already since July 2020[19]<\/a>, and again in November of the same year[20]<\/a>, the Expert Council on NGO Law of the Council of Europe had stressed the \u201csignificant chilling effect\u201d and the impediments placed by the provisions of the specific Registry to the work of NGOs, which includes the monitoring of the level of compliance to legality by state authorities in general. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Campaign for Access to Asylum raises\nthe alarm on the consequences with respect to freedom of speech and democratic\nvalues that can\nresult from the ongoing efforts to create a climate of intimidation and\ndistrust over the work of particularly those NGOs that operate at the country\u2019s\nborders and receive reports and testimonies on pushbacks which, as they ought\nto, they publicise. In full accordance with the repeated calls issued by the foremost\ncompetent national and international bodies and organizations, the Asylum\nCampaign reiterates the call for putting an end to the practice of illegal pushbacks\nand the use of force against refugees and migrants, as well as for the\neffective investigation and prosecution of relevant incidents. At the same\ntime, the Campaign calls on the Greek and European authorities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n