The U.N.'s refugee agency expressed concern about increasing reports of "horrific incidents" involving irregular migrants attempting to cross the border into Greece and other European countries being violently pushed back.
U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi decried "the increasing number of incidents of violence and serious human rights violations against refugees and migrants at various European borders," with several resulting in loss of life. Greece was the one country he mentioned by name.
"We are alarmed by recurrent and consistent reports coming from Greece’s land and sea borders with Turkey, where UNHCR has recorded almost 540 reported incidents of informal returns by Greece since the beginning of 2020," Grandi said.
He added that three people have reportedly died since September 2021 in the Aegean Sea after being allegedly forced back from Greek waters. In some cases, Grandi said, migrants were reportedly "left adrift in life rafts or sometimes even forced directly into the water, showing a callous lack of regard for human life."
"Equally horrific practices are frequently reported at land borders, with consistent testimonies of people being stripped and brutally pushed back in harsh weather conditions," he added.
About a million people entered Greece through Turkey in 2015, on their way to seek a better life in Europe's prosperous heartland. Greek authorities, assisted by EU partners, subsequently tightened border controls and built a fence along the land frontier with Turkey, drastically limiting arrivals. But allegations of illegal returns of migrants by Greece to Turkey – by land and sea – have increased.
On Feb. 3, Turkey said 19 migrants were found frozen to death on its land border with Greece, and accused Greek authorities of taking away their clothes and shoes and forcing them back into Turkey.
Athens has rejected the Turkish claims – as well as others of pushbacks at sea – as untrue. In turn, it accuses Turkey's coast guard of escorting boats full of asylum-seekers to Greek waters and harassing Greek coast guard vessels.
Matters reached a head two years ago, when Turkey declared its land borders with Greece open to migrants. Days of clashes ensued between Greek border forces and thousands of people trying to push into Greece.
Turkey and Greece have been key transit points for asylum-seekers aiming to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.
Turkey and human rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece's illegal practice of pushing back asylum-seekers, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.
Greece’s pushbacks of irregular migrants have increased by 97% in 2021 compared to the previous year, according to a report by the Norwegian nongovernmental organization (NGO) Aegean Boat Report, which monitors the movement of migrants in the area.
Pushbacks are considered contrary to international refugee protection agreements, which dictate that people should not be expelled or returned to a country where their life and safety might be in danger due to their race, religion, nationality or membership in a social or political group.