Reports of Immigrant Rights Violations in Greece

In a report released today on the occasion of the International Immigrants Day, several organizations report that Greek authorities and Frontex, the European Union agency for external border security, are violating immigrants’ rights. The report by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the Migreurop network, and the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (REMDH) speak of testimonies confirming the practice of collective expulsion (push-back) at the Greek-Turkish maritime borders. International law prohibits collective expulsions in order to protect the right to asylum. However, the report states that Greek Coast Guard often tows violently the boats of immigrants to Turkey. A Syrian man reported that the Greek Coast Guard took all his belongings and then left him, his wife, and their baby in a boat in the middle of the sea for 24 hours until they were rescued by the Turkish authorities. According to the report, enven though Frontex is aware of the collective expulsions and the abuse of immigrants, it continues to provide the Greek Coast Guard with ships, planes, thermal cameras, and training of officers. After the increase of surveillance operations in land borders and the building of a wall in Evros border, immigrants turned to the sea. In 2013, Frontex halted the arrival of 10,427 immigrants compared to 3,307 in 2012. According  to a report, from September 2012 until May 2014, at least 18 boats sunk, 191 people were drowned, and 33 are missing. Most of the victims came from Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Eritrea.    

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