ATHENS, Greece — In a pivotal decision announced on Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights determined that Greece unlawfully deported a woman back to Turkey. The court characterized the Greek practice of summary expulsions, commonly referred to as “pushbacks,” as systematic.
This ruling has the potential to significantly influence how European nations manage migrants at their borders, particularly at a time when Greece and various EU member states are actively pursuing stricter immigration policies. These frontline nations receive financial assistance from the European Union to manage unlawful migration effectively.
A Turkish woman, known by her initials A.R.E., was granted 20,000 euros (approximately $21,000) in damages after the court found that her expulsion in 2019 occurred without any opportunity for her to apply for asylum after entering Greece.
The court noted, “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 region (on the Greek border) to Turkey.”
However, the court dismissed a separate claim from an Afghan man who alleged he was forcibly returned to Turkey from the Greek island of Samos when he was just 15 years old in 2020, citing insufficient evidence.
During the hearings, Greek government representatives rejected the allegations, disputing the credibility of the evidence presented and asserting that the country’s border policies adhere to international law.
Niamh Keady-Tabbal, a member of the legal team representing the Afghan migrant, described the court’s ruling as significant yet “profoundly unjust” for her client. She expressed concern that the government’s consistent denial of such practices protects it from being held accountable. The U.N. refugee agency has called on Greece to conduct a more thorough investigation into numerous allegations concerning pushbacks, and various human rights organizations have referred to these reported deportations as systematic.
The National Transparency Authority of Greece, a government-funded agency tasked with combating corruption, concluded there was no evidence to validate the pushback claims after a four-month investigation in 2022.
The European Court of Human Rights is an international judiciary based in Strasbourg, France, which addresses human rights violations committed by the 46 member nations of the Council of Europe, an organization that predates the European Union and its earlier form, the European Economic Community.
In 2022, Greece recorded over 60,000 illegal migrant entries, marking an increase of nearly 50% compared to the previous year. The country is seeking direct financial assistance from the EU to support the planned expansion of its border wall along its land boundary with Turkey.
