“What we did from the start, when I took over the government, was to impose a tough but – I think – fair migration policy,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in an interview with journalists of the German newspaper “Bild”. He also recalled that six months after taking over, his …
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Frontex head Fabrice Leggeri submits resignation over illegal pushbacks
The head of the EU border agency Frontex, Fabrice Leggeri, has filed his resignation following excoriating criticism of its human rights record and an anti-fraud investigation. Fabrice Leggeri, who was censured by the European parliament last year, announced his resignation in a letter to the agency’s management board. “I give …
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Greece’s independent authority rejects migrant pushback claims
Greece’s independent authority for transparency said Tuesday that after an in-depth investigation it has found no basis for reports that Greek authorities have illegally turned back asylum-seekers entering the country from Turkey. The National Transparency Authority said in a statement that the allegations by the Lighthouse Reports non-profit organization last …
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Greek Ombudsman probes illegal pushback of Frontex Interpreter
The Greek Ombudsman announced on Wednesday that it launches an investigation into the complaint about the illegal pushback of a Frontex interpreter from Greece to Turkey. The Constitutional independent authority added that it has received a formal complain from the EU border agency. A Frontex employee has claimed that he …
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Greek PM gets furious when asked by Dutch journalist on alleged “pushbacks”
A bold question on pushbacks posed by a Dutch journalist to Greek and Dutch prime ministers during a press conference had Kyriakos Mitsotakis “see red”. He felt insulted also in the name of the “Greek people” and losing his temper he furiously advised correspondent Ingebor Beugel that in Greece’s we …
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Greece to investigate alleged refugee pushbacks, says Migration Minister
Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarachi has announced that he has requested Greece’s National Transparency Authority investigate the recently reported allegations of refugees’ pushbacks carried out at Greek waters. Mitarachi made the announcement at a press conference on Wednesday about the fatal sinking of a vessel off the island of …
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EU “extremely concerned” about migrants’ pushbacks, urges probe in Greece, Croatia
Published reports about illegal pushbacks of migrants at the Greek border in the Aegean Sea as well as in Croatia should be thoroughly investigated, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said on Thursday. The Commissioner was referring to investigative reports by several European media outlets about violent migrants’pushbacks by …
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FRONTEX Chief urged to resign over pushbacks following EP hearing
European Union lawmakers lashed out Tuesday at the head of Frontex Fabrice Leggeri over allegations that the border and coast guard agency helped illegally stop migrants or refugees entering Europe, calling for his resignation and demanding an independent inquiry. The lawmakers grilled Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri over an investigation in …
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Council of Europe report calls on Greece to stop pushbacks, reform its immigration detention system
Council of Europe’s anti-torture Committee calls on Greece to reform its immigration detention system and stop pushbacks. In a report published on Thursday, on a rapid reaction ad hoc visit to Greece in March 2020, the Council of Europe’s anti-torture committee (CPT) once again urges the Greek authorities to change …
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Frontex launches internal inquiry into illegal pushbacks in the Aegean
European border agency Frontex has launched an internal investigation into press reports of alleged illegal pushbacks of migrants and refugees in the Aegean Sea. A relevant TV report broadcasted on Tuesday at German public broadcaster ARD not only displayed footage but also featured among others eye-witness accounts by Greek islanders …
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Greek ministers grilled at European Parliament over migrants’ pushbacks
Three Greek ministers were grilled with a storm of questions at the European Palriament on Monday regarding pushbacks of illegal migrants at the land and the sea borders and cases of probable lethal shootings at the Evros border with Turkey. Minister for Citizen Protection Michalis Chrysochoidis, Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis, …
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UNHCR calls on Greece to investigate pushbacks allegations at sea, land borders (videos)
Greece vehemently rejects media reports often accompanied by footage, on collective pushbacks of migrants and refugees in the Aegean Sea. As as such reports have been increased, United Nations organization like the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN’s International Organization for Migration(IOM) call on Greece to investigate …
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