Border checks put refugees at risk, say human rights groups
Stricter inspections along the Greek-Turkish border are forcing refugees from war-torn countries to choose increasingly risky escape routes, human rights groups said on Tuesday.
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) expressed concerns about the impact of stricter patrols in a statement which was also signed by Greece’s National Commission for Human Rights.
The statement, which followed visits to Greece and Turkey by members of FIDH and EMHRN, also referred to “serious human rights violations,” adding that several witnesses had attested to Hellenic Coast Guard officials “pushing back” migrants.
It also referred to cases of abuse and violence by coast guard officials against migrants.
