reliefweb.int | 22 October 2021|
Greece: Government Want to Keep Pushback Investigation In-House, Pushbacks Continue as Reports of Refoulement from Turkey Emerges, Food Provision and Cash Assistance in Shambles
The Greek government is considering tasking a transparency body with pushback investigations without including representatives of independent bodies or organisations. Systematic pushbacks from Greece continue as do reports of refoulement from Turkey. 26 NGOs urge Greek authorities to "disburse belated payments of cash assistance and ensure food provision" to deprived asylum seekers and refugees.
In response to demands from the European Commission for Greece to establish a human rights monitoring mechanism, the Greek government is examining the possibility of tasking the National Transparency Authority (EAD) with the role. However, while representatives of the Migration Ministry, court officials and teachers would participate in such mechanism, reportedly no independent bodies or organisations would be included. The Greek government recently imposed heavy restrictions on NGOs that act in the areas of competence of the Greek coast guard, preventing efficient and independent oversight of the agency's conduct.
Meanwhile, pushbacks continue. According to the Aegean Boat Report, 384 life rafts carrying 6,659 "victims of cruel and inhuman behaviour by the Greek government" have been found adrift in the Aegean Sea since March 2020. The latest incident documented on 17 October involves 23 people, including five children, of which 22 were pushed back by the Hellenic Coast Guard after arriving to the Greek island of Ikaria. Survivors of pushbacks in the Evros region have reported a trend of "third country nationals working with Greek authorities in violently expelling people from the country" to Border Violence Monitoring Network (BVMN).