An investigation by a number of European media organizations has found that Frontex, Europe's border security agency, has been involved in several illegal "pushbacks" of asylum seekers crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece.
The allegations against the Greek coast guard come as Greece accuses Turkey of aiding human traffickers move migrants and refugees to Greece.
A vessel with 74 migrants and two people smugglers on board has reached the port of Katakolo in western Greece after sending distress signals over the weekend. Two Turkish nationals on board the yacht have been detained.
Greece's migration minister rejected claims on Monday saying that the Greek government was involved in illegally pushing back migrants and refugees at sea. Notis Mitarachi said that false reports about pushbacks were being spread by people smugglers, as changes to Greece’s border policies was damaging their business.
German soldiers have filed reports saying that they had repeatedly observed migrant boats in the Mediterranean being pushed back into Turkish waters. The German dpa news agency said it had information chronicling at least three such instances in June 2020 alone.
The Greek opposition party Syriza has criticized the Greek government's policies on refugees and migrants. It accused the government of cutting spending and closing migrant facilities, and also attacked the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Up to 60 migrants remain missing after a boat capsized on Lake Van in south-eastern Turkey over the weekend. So far, only six bodies have been recovered from the site.
New findings suggest Greek authorities are illegally deporting refugees across the Turkish border. As part of an international research team, DW identified and met some of the victims who were forced back.
Authorities in Greece say they are worried that migrants and refugees are gathering on Turkey’s coast with plans to cross the Aegean Sea. As many as 2,000 migrants who were quarantined in camps in Turkey have reportedly been taken by bus to coastal towns near the Greek islands of Lesbos and Chios.
According to the Turkish government, some 6,000 migrants waiting at the Turkish-Greek border to cross into the European Union were sent to cities inside the country. The move is reportedly one of several measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
On March 18, the Turkish government announced that it would be closing its borders with EU countries Greece and Bulgaria. The reason: The Covid-19 pandemic. The announcement came a day after talks between some EU leaders and the Turkish president, where more help was promised for Turkey to support migrants and refugees.
A Turkish court has sentenced three suspects to 125 years in prison each for the death of three-year-old Alan Kurdi. The toddler drowned along with four others in 2015, Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported.