UNHCR accuses Greece of pushbacks – The answer …
For “a growing number of incidents of violence and serious human rights violations “Against refugees and migrants taking place on the borders of various European countries, many of them with tragic loss of life,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grady, while expressing deep concern. of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
As Mr Grady points out, at many points of entry at sea and land borders, inside and outside the country (EU), “violence, ill-treatment and forced returns outside the legal framework continue to be reported (repulsions“, despite repeated calls from UN agencies, including the UNHCR, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations, to put an end to these practices.”
“We are extremely disturbed by the repeated and systematic reports from the land and sea borders of Greece with Turkey, where the UNHCR has recorded almost 540 cases of informal returns from Greece since the beginning of 2020. There are also reports of very worrying incidents in Central and South-Eastern Europe, especially on the borders with EU Member States. With few exceptions, European countries have failed to investigate such reports, despite the growing and growing body of credible evidence. Instead, walls and fences are erected at many borders. “Apart from the refusal of entry, we have also received reports that refugees may have been returned to their country of origin, despite the dangers they face there, which is contrary to the international legal principle of non-refoulement.” . UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Mr. Grady also notes: “The right to ask and receive asylum a person does not depend on the way he arrives in a country. People who want to apply for asylum should be able to do so, as well as be provided with information about their rights and legal assistance. People fleeing war and persecution have few options available. It is unlikely that walls and fences will act as an effective deterrent. “They only manage to magnify the pain of people in need of international protection, especially women and children, by pushing them to look at different, and often more dangerous, paths that are likely to lead to more deaths.”
However, he stressed, “European countries have been strongly supporting the work of the UNHCR for years and providing significant assistance, which helps to protect both refugees and host countries. Resettlement programs and other legal avenues are important examples. support for key host countries, but they can not substitute states for people seeking asylum at the border, including people arriving illegally and spontaneously, even by boat. ”
Mitarakis: Turkish propaganda and fake news
“Greece protects the Union’s external borders, in full compliance with international law and in full respect of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. alleged violations and we actively ask for the provision of evidence “, states, among others, the Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Notis Mitarakis, regarding the statement of Grady.
“We were surprised by this statement, while we always seek to cooperate with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees “, Mr. Mitarakis characteristically states, while he stresses that” it is deeply worrying that the Turkish propaganda and false news about illegal immigration is so often and erroneously taken for granted. ”
“Turkey is not a country at war and has an obligation under the 2016 EU-Turkey Joint Declaration to prevent illegal departures of migrants and to prevent the return of those deemed not to be entitled to international protection. Between 2015 and 2021, it rescued more than 230,000 third-country nationals at risk at sea “, notes Mr. Mitarakis, while adding that” in recent years alone, Greece has provided safe haven to over one million people, – that is, an order of magnitude – over out of ten percent of our total population “.
“Greece is not against the immigration law – we are against traffickers “and all those who exploit human suffering either for profit or for political purposes,” the minister notes.
“Essentially, Greece cannot solve the migration crisis on its own, we urgently need even more tangible support and greater commitment at EU level and from the Member States, especially with regard to relocation. The High Commissioner and to talk to him about the constructive role that the international community can play in protecting the lives of refugees “, concludes Mr. Mitarakis in his statement.
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