Council of Europe Urges Greece to Pause Migrant Pushbacks
(MENAFN) The Council of Europe has called on Greece to take immediate measures to stop the illegal practice of pushing back migrants and to strengthen accountability mechanisms concerning human rights violations at its borders.
This appeal was made public on Tuesday through a memorandum following an official visit to Greece by the Council’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty.
O’Flaherty voiced serious concerns regarding consistent and widespread reports of continued pushbacks occurring at both the country's land and sea borders.
These actions are alleged to involve the "unnecessary or excessive use of force" and incidents of "sexual violence" committed by border enforcement authorities during such operations.
The commissioner emphasized the risks posed by returning individuals without undergoing appropriate identification processes, warning that such practices could expose migrants to serious rights violations and contravene established European and international legal frameworks.
According to the memorandum, “He recommends adopting a zero-tolerance approach to summary returns and other human rights violations, ensuring that allegations of such practices are promptly, impartially, thoroughly and effectively investigated and that all persons being subjected to border control operations have adequate access to individualised procedures to raise protection needs, as well as to effective remedies.”
This guidance underscores the need for procedural safeguards and the right to fair treatment for all individuals intercepted at the borders.
The commissioner further highlighted ongoing issues related to Greece’s failure to ensure accountability for reported abuses.
Despite some progress, significant gaps remain in conducting reliable and thorough investigations into these incidents.
“While steps have been taken to foster accountability, problems persist in carrying out effective investigations, as also attested by recent judgments of the European Court of Human Rights,” O’Flaherty noted, pointing to judicial findings that confirm these systemic failures.
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