Greece has been invited to implement stronger legal guarantees at its borders and to adopt a “zero tolerance approach for summary yields” while illegal migrant deportation reports continue to the rise of international criticisms, said the European Council (COE).
Michael O'Flaherty, a human rights coexisher, published the recommendations after a visit to Greece in February.
“The commissioner is concerned with the allegations received during his visit concerning the persistent practices of summary yields – also called” declines “or” informal forced yields ” – both on land and sea borders,” said a memorandum.
“The return of people without carrying out an individual identification procedure prevents member states from determining whether they can refer them to human rights violations.”
But the press release added that O'Flaherty noted that the number of allegations has dropped in recent months.
Athens has always denied decline allegations, arguing that its border control measures comply with international law.
In a written response to the commissioner, the Greek police said that his police are only involved in the “legal prevention of illegal border crossings while migrants are still in Turkish territory and have not yet reached Greece”.
The allegations of decline have acquired legal importance after the European Court of Human Rights ruled against Greece in January, concluding that Ohenes had violated the European Conventions of Human Rights by systematically expelling migrants without regular procedure.
Meanwhile, the Greek government tightens its migration policies.
The Minister of Migration, Makis Voridis, announced his intention to extend the period of maximum detention for asylum seekers rejected from 18 to 24 months.
“The illegal migrant whose asylum application is rejected and which nevertheless does not leave for his country will be confronted with a much more unfavorable institutional environment than there is today – essentially to encourage voluntary departure,” Voridis told The Action 24 TV News Channel.
On Tuesday, the Coast Guard reported the rescue of 158 migrants of three derivatives in the south of the island of Crete, with the help of nearby commercial ships and the EU border protection agency.
Last month, Frontex also said that he was investigating multiple alleged human rights violations by Greece in the way he deals with illegal immigration.
Frontex said he was considering 12 alleged serious incidents that mainly occurred in 2024, but have given no other details.
A spokesman for the agency, Chris Borowski, said that he recently strengthened his complaint mechanism.
ADVERTISEMENT“There are currently 12 active active acts related to Greece in the process of examination by the fundamental Rights Office. Everyone is examined in depth,” he said.
