Athens denies the claims and says the UNHCR was used to spread propaganda from Turkey. There are a number of issues, including disputes over migration.
U.N. U.N.
Grandi stated that he was alarmed at the recurrent and consistent reports from Greece’s sea and land borders with Turkey. Since 2020, UNHCR has reported almost 540 incidents of informal return by Greece.
Grandi stated that three people had died in the Aegean since September 2021 after they were allegedly forced to return from Greece. “
“Equally horrifying practices are often reported at land border, with consistent testimony of people being stripped and brutally forced back in harsh weather conditions,” said he.
Around a million migrants entered Greece via Turkey in 2015. They were trying to find better lives in Europe’s prosperous heartland.
Turkey stated that 19 migrants were frozen to death at its land border with Greece on February 3. It also accused the Greek authorities of taking their shoes and clothes away and forcing them into Turkey
Athens rejected the Turkish claims, as well as other pushbacks in sea. It then accuses Turkey of harassing Greek coast guard vessels and escorting asylum-seekers into Greek waters.
Matters came to a head when Turkey made its Greek land borders open to migrants two years ago. Days were filled with clashes between the Greek border forces, and thousands ofpeople trying push into Greece.
Notis Mitarachi, the Greek Migration Minister, said Monday that he was surprised by Grandi’s statements.
“Greece defends the EU’s external borders in complete compliance with international law,” he stated. “
Mitarachi also claimed that Ankara ignored a 2016 agreement with the EU to slow illegal migration from Turkey and Greece.
He said that Greece had provided safe harbour for more than 1,000,000 people in the past seven years.
