The Council of Europe has intensified pressure on Greece to halt the alleged “pushbacks” of migrants at its borders, urging the country to implement firm legal safeguards and uphold international human rights standards, reported by Euro News.
In a pointed memorandum released after a February visit, Michael O’Flaherty, the Council’s Commissioner for Human Rights, raised alarm over “persistent practices of summary returns” — also known as pushbacks — at both land and sea frontiers. These actions, he warned, deny migrants the right to individual assessment and risk returning them to persecution or harm.
Although Greece has repeatedly denied the accusations, insisting its border control complies with international law, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in January that the country had violated human rights conventions by systematically expelling asylum seekers without due process.
O’Flaherty acknowledged a recent decline in reported incidents but emphasized the need for a “zero-tolerance” stance on informal forced returns. The Greek Police responded that they only prevent illegal crossings while migrants are still on Turkish territory.
Meanwhile, Greece’s hardening migration stance continues. Migration Minister Makis Voridis announced a proposal to extend detention for rejected asylum seekers from 18 to 24 months, aiming to “encourage voluntary departure” under stricter conditions.
The EU’s border agency Frontex is also investigating 12 serious allegations involving Greek authorities, mostly from 2024. Agency spokesperson Chris Borowski confirmed that each case is under thorough review by its Fundamental Rights Office.
As geopolitical tensions and humanitarian concerns intersect, Greece remains under sharp scrutiny from both European institutions and human rights advocates for its handling of asylum and border enforcement.
