Greek Police Implicated in Alleged Illegal Migrant Pushbacks at Turkish Border

A comprehensive investigation by the Consolidated Rescue Group (CRG) reveals allegations that Greek police have been employing migrants to conduct illegal pushbacks at the Evros land border with Turkey. This practice, which involves forcing migrants and asylum seekers back without due process, is widely considered a breach of international law.

Evidence of Widespread Abuse and Official Directives

The investigation unearthed internal police documents where guards described the recruitment of 'mercenaries' as being directed by senior officials. Witnesses and former mercenaries have reported disturbing accounts of brutality, including migrants being stripped, robbed, beaten, and subjected to sexual assault. These unofficial operatives are alleged to have been active on the border since at least 2020. One police source in the Evros region indicated that hundreds of individuals a week could be subjected to these pushbacks, stating, "There is no soldier, police officer or Frontex (EU border agency) officer serving here in Evros who does not know that pushbacks are taking place."

First-hand Accounts and International Findings

Migrants from countries including Pakistan, Syria, and Afghanistan are reportedly recruited as mercenaries, with rewards including cash, mobile phones looted from other migrants, and documents facilitating passage through Greece. The Fundamental Rights Office, an independent investigator within Frontex, documented an incident from June 2023 where 10 to 20 "third-country nationals" allegedly acted under instruction from Greek officers. Their report detailed physical and verbal abuse, including "death and rape threats, intrusive and sexualised body searches," beating, stabbing, restraining, and theft, before migrants were forcibly returned to Turkey.

The Greek authorities have consistently denied the presence of migrants from this specific group in the area on that day, and the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, stated he was "totally unaware" of allegations concerning the use of mercenaries. However, he affirmed Greece's commitment to border protection and indicated European leaders would not repeat past "mistakes" by allowing a "massive influx" of migrants.

Internal Admissions and Legal Action

Excerpts from a 2024 disciplinary hearing show five border guards awaiting trial on corruption charges openly acknowledging the use of "boatmen" for pushbacks. One guard testified that the system was implemented in 2020 due to COVID-19 and tensions with Turkish authorities. Concerns were reportedly raised by guards regarding these "illegal migrant boatmen" allegedly "taking migrants to the woods, raping the women and taking their money." A lawyer has also lodged a case at the European Court of Human Rights on behalf of an Afghan woman who alleges she was raped by a masked Farsi-speaking man before a pushback in 2023. Frontex has denied any complicity in human rights violations, asserting its role in ensuring lawful border management and supporting member states.