The non-governmental organization Aegean Boat Report has vehemently rejected accusations by Greek police that its members, along with those of other organizations, are involved in facilitating the illegal transfer of refugees and migrants to the Greek islands or that it was involved in espionage.
Three months ago, 28-year-old Stephanie* flew from Kinshasa to Istanbul to join her husband. To reach Europe, the young woman took a boat from Turkey. She said that her boat was turned back by the Greek coast guard, and that she and the other migrants were threatened with guns. This is her story.
A report by the European Parliament concludes that the EU border agency Frontex overlooked evidence of fundamental rights violations and "failed to address and follow-up on these violations promptly, vigilantly and effectively."
Three men were found dead on board a boat carrying 81 other migrants that was rescued by Malta early on Wednesday. The charity Sea-Watch has claimed that authorities purposely delayed the rescue.
On Thursday, July 9, the European Court of Human Rights judged that Poland had pushed back three Syrian nationals illegally to Belarus. Their case has been before the court since 2017. Poland has been ordered to pay each of the three €10,000 compensation.
Amnesty International has launched a petition, demanding the Greek government end its alleged pushbacks of refugees and migrants. The organization recently released a report, accusing Greek authorities of illegally returning potential asylum seekers to Turkey.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Felipe González Morales, has highlighted that public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic cannot have the effect of denying asylum and protection to migrants. He denounced to the Human Rights Council last week the practice of collective expulsions carried out by some countries.
Croatian border authorities are systemically pushing back potential asylum seekers, reports from several European media outlets have confirmed. Six pushbacks to Bosnia were captured on video. Among those forced across the border were a pregnant woman, disabled persons and small children.
According to the human rights organization Amnesty International, "pushbacks and violence against refugees and migrants [at the Greek borders] are de facto border policy." The organization said it had "new evidence" which it has released in a report.
Humanitarian rescue organizations are accusing a supply ship, the Vos Triton, of participating in what they call an "illegal pushback" to Libya, in which migrants rescued from a drifting boat were handed over to the Libyan coast guard.
The Lebanese authorities have expelled 15 Syrian refugees from among a group of people who had tried in recent days to reach the coast of Cyprus but were pushed back by Cypriot authorities.
The general prosecutor's office in Spain has opened an inquiry into whether any migrants under age 18 were pushed back among those that were forced to leave the Ceuta enclave after the arrival of thousands of people in only a few days from Morocco.