Greece found guilty over illegal expulsion of asylum seekers

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The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Athens violated migrants’ rights through forced ‘pushbacks’ without proper review

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that Greece violated the rights of asylum seekers by illegally returning them to Turkey without examining their claims.

The court referred to these actions as “systematic pushbacks,” citing evidence of repeated expulsions from the Evros border region. The ruling on Tuesday marks the first formal condemnation of Athens for such practices, according to media reports.

The case was taken by a Turkish national, identified as A.R.E., who claimed she was forcibly expelled from Greece in 2019 without being given an opportunity to apply for asylum. The court concluded that her rights under the European Convention on Human Rights had been violated, including her right to seek international protection. As part of the judgment, the court awarded A.R.E. €20,000 in damages.

The ECHR’s decision drew on evidence provided by non-governmental organizations and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), which have consistently raised concerns over Greece’s border practices. “There were strong indications to suggest that there had existed, at the time of the events alleged, a systematic practice of ‘pushbacks’ of third-country nationals by the Greek authorities, from the Evros [border] region to Turkey,” the court said in its judgment. Such expulsions, it added, had occurred without due legal process or an opportunity for individuals to seek asylum.

Greek officials have consistently denied accusations of pushbacks, maintaining that their border enforcement measures adhere to international and EU law. According to media reports, the Greek government has yet to issue a formal response to the ECHR’s latest ruling.

The issue of asylum seekers remains a significant challenge within the European Union. In the first half of 2024, EU countries received approximately 513,000 asylum applications, indicating that the total for the year could reach around one million, similar to 2023 levels, The Times reported.