Greece criticized over treatment of migrants in State Department report
The US State Department’s annual report on human rights violations around the world published on Tuesday has criticized Greece over unsafe and unhealthy conditions for migrants and asylum-seekers detained in pre-removal facilities or residing at the country’s six reception and identification centers, including gender-based violence against refugee women and children in reception camps.
The report, the first to be published under the Joe Biden administration, also refers to allegations of forced return (refoulement) of refugees, acts of corruption, violence targeting members of national/racial/ethnic minority groups, including some by police.
Alleged crimes involving violence or threats of violence targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex persons are also listed in the report.
“The government regularly took steps to investigate, prosecute, and punish officials who committed human rights abuses, whether in the security forces or elsewhere in the government,” the report says.
“There were, however, complaints from nongovernmental organizations and international organizations regarding the lack of government investigation of and accountability for allegations of forced returns of asylum seekers,” it adds.
