
On 2 December, the UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking persons issued a letter to the Government of Greece on the failures in the identification of potential cases of trafficking, especially women and children, and protection of trafficked people on Samos Island.
Later that month, on 13 December, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) expressed serious concerns about the disturbing reports of pushbacks and forced returns of migrants and asylum seekers at Greece’s borders, involving excessive use of force and breaches of international law, including the principle of non-refoulement. The Committee called on Greece to enhance mechanisms for reporting hate crimes, ensure safe and accessible channels for victims, provide comprehensive training for law enforcement and judicial officials, and thoroughly investigate allegations of human rights abuses against migrants and asylum seekers.
These concerns were confirmed on 7 January 2025, when the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) condemned Greece for its systematic pushbacks of third-country nationals from the Evros region to Türkiye. In a first-of-its-kind case, the Court found several violations of the European Convention on Human Rights, confirming that these pushbacks are real and systematic.
The case A.R.E. v. Greece involved a Turkish migrant who fled her home country to seek asylum in Greece. After arriving in the Evros region, she was returned to Türkiye without an examination of her asylum claim or the risks she faced. Upon return, she was arrested and detained by Turkish authorities as a measure of political persecution.
We join the international community in calling on Greek authorities to end systematic pushbacks, respect international obligations and defend human rights in all migration and asylum procedures.
Image: ©Chaim Gabriel Waibel