Why Greece Is Merciless Is Expelling Migrants?

Greece is not supporting of migrant movement and tales of abuse and atrocities continue to mount unabated.  There are confirmed reports that the Greek Coast Guard has been accused of abandoning asylum seekers close to the Turkish border. They make use of all the rescue equipment that is made available to them for just the opposite- rescuing people stranded at sea.

Apparently, Greek law enforcement officers have been pushing back asylum seekers and even those who are currently residing in Greece, back towards Turkey.  The movement of migrants has been increasing as the Covid-19 situation is leaving many without food, water and shelter leave alone the prospects of no way of earning a living.

Accusation of collective expulsion has enveloped the Greek authorities and is being considered a gross violation of human rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. These findings have been confirmed by the human rights group, Human Rights Watch.

Recent set of interviews with leading media agencies has left Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotaskis cornered. But he has tried to push back by denying all allegations of any such violation of human rights.  According to accounts shared by victims themselves, there have been summary returns from the Greek Islands of Rhodes, Samos and Symi where people have been forced onto small inflatable rescue rafts and sent off into the sea to reach Turkish border.

Most of these activities are carried out without adhering to any Covid-19 safety protocols by masked men, Greek police and Greek Coast guards together.

While the European Commission provides financial support to the Greek government for migrant control, human rights activists feel it has done very less in holding Greece responsible for its inhuman behaviour. On its part, Turkey has already been threatening to open its borders into other parts of Europe seeking help from the bloc to accept and accommodate an exodus it has accommodated since the last decade. This has included mainly Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.  The numbers have fluctuated after lock downs were opened systematically in these regions that are without a balanced running economy and hit by civil war.