• Les députés demandent une enquête sur les allégations de refoulement de demandeurs d’asile à la frontière gréco-turque

    Les autorités grecques et de l’UE doivent enquêter sur les rapports récurrents faisant état de refoulements violents à la frontière avec la Turquie.

    Lundi, les députés de la #commission_des_libertés_civiles ont demandé au gouvernement grec de clarifier sa position concernant des reportages dans différents médias et des rapports de la société civile indiquant que la police et les garde-frontières du pays empêchaient de façon systématique les migrants d’entrer sur le territoire grec (par voies terrestre et maritime) et ce, en faisant usage de la violence et même en tirant sur eux.

    Le ministre grec de la protection des citoyens, Michalis Chrisochoidis, et le ministre de la migration et de l’asile, Notis Mitarachi, ont nié ces accusations, les qualifiant de ‘‘fake news’’ et soulignant le rôle essentiel que jouait la Grèce pour ‘‘maintenir les frontières de l’UE sûres, en respectant toujours les droits fondamentaux’’. Ils ont également averti qu’une répétition des événements qui se sont produits en mars, quand le Président Erdoğan a annoncé qu’il ouvrait les frontières turques, ne pouvait pas être écartée.

    Une majorité des députés a appelé la Commission à s’assurer que les autorités grecques respectaient la législation européenne relative à l’asile, l’exhortant à condamner l’usage de la violence et à imposer des sanctions si les violations étaient confirmées. La commissaire Ylva Johansson a convenu que les violences contre les demandeurs d’asile devaient faire l’objet d’enquêtes, non seulement en Grèce mais dans toute l’UE. ‘‘Nous ne pouvons pas protéger nos frontières en violant les droits des citoyens’’, a-t-elle déclaré.

    Certains députés ont félicité la Grèce pour son contrôle des frontières de l’UE avec la Turquie. La commissaire Johansson a également salué les progrès réalisés ces derniers mois et souligné que, malgré une situation très compliquée, les autorités grecques avaient réussi à empêcher la propagation du COVID-19 au sein des camps de réfugiés.

    https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/fr/press-room/20200703IPR82627/demandeurs-d-asile-a-la-frontiere-greco-turque-les-deputes-veulent-u

    #asile #migrations #réfugiés #frontières #violence #LIBE #Grèce #Evros #refoulement #push-backs #refoulements #droits_humains #îles

    • La (non-) réponse de Ministres grecs à la #commission_LIBE concernant les violences et les morts aux frontières gréco-turques (https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/libe-committee-meeting_20200706-1645-COMMITTEE-LIBE_vd)

      Αλλα λόγια ν’ αγαπιόμαστε...

      Θλίψη και ντροπή προκαλούσε η εικόνα των Νότη Μηταράκη, Γιώργου Κουμουτσάκου και Μιχάλη Χρυσοχοΐδη στη χθεσινή Επιτροπή Πολιτικών Ελευθεριών, Δικαιοσύνης και Εσωτερικών Υποθέσεων του Ευρωκοινοβουλίου ● Οι Ελληνες υπουργοί δέχτηκαν καταιγισμό ερωτήσεων σχετικά με τις αποκαλύψεις για τη βία και τους θανάτους στα ελληνικά σύνορα και δεν έδωσαν ούτε... μισή απάντηση με ουσία !

      Σε Βατερλό για τους υπουργούς Μ. Χρυσοχοΐδη, Γ. Κουμουτσάκο και Ν. Μηταράκη εξελίχθηκε η χθεσινή Επιτροπή Πολιτικών Ελευθεριών, Δικαιοσύνης και Εσωτερικών Υποθέσεων του Ευρωκοινοβουλίου με θέμα την κατάσταση στα ελληνοτουρκικά σύνορα και τον σεβασμό των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων, παρουσία της επιτρόπου Εσωτερικών Υποθέσεων Ιλβα Γιόχανσον.

      Μόνο θλιβερή μπορεί να χαρακτηριστεί η εικόνα των Ελλήνων υπουργών, που δέχονταν βροχή τις ερωτήσεις για τις αποκαλύψεις για παράνομες επιχειρήσεις αποτροπής και επαναπροώθησης και για την ανεξέλεγκτη βία και τους νεκρούς στον Εβρο.

      Καμία συγκεκριμένη απάντηση δεν έδωσαν, αντιθέτως επαναλάμβαναν γενικολογίες για τον σεβασμό των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων και του διεθνούς δικαίου και την προστασία της ανθρώπινης ζωής εκ μέρους της Ελλάδας, ζητώντας μάλιστα τον λόγο για τις αιχμηρές επισημάνσεις των ευρωβουλευτών. Η στάση τους σχολιάστηκε έντονα και επικριτικά.

      « Είναι εκτός θέματος, σαν να έχουν προσκληθεί σε γάμο και να απαγγέλλουν επικήδειους » ήταν το ειρωνικό σχόλιο ευρωβουλευτή, ενώ και ο πρόεδρος της επιτροπής, Χουάν Φερνάντο Λόπεζ Αγκιλάρ, σημείωσε : « Δεν θέλουν να απαντήσουν, αυτό είναι το πολιτικό συμπέρασμα της συνεδρίασης ». Η συνεδρίαση πραγματοποιήθηκε στον απόηχο του βίντεο της ερευνητικής ομάδας Forensic Architecture (La (non-) réponse de Ministres grecs à la #commission_LIBE concernant les violences et les morts aux frontières gréco-turques (https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/libe-committee-meeting_20200706-1645-COMMITTEE-LIBE_vd)) για τη δολοφονία του 22χρονου Σύρου πρόσφυγα στον Εβρο και πληθώρας δημοσιευμάτων για την πολιτική της ελληνικής κυβέρνησης στα σύνορα, αλλά και καταγγελιών που δέχτηκε η Επιτροπή από οργανώσεις δικαιωμάτων, όπως η Human Rights Watch και η Διενής Αμνηστία.
      Ράπισμα από Γιόχανσον

      Κατηγορηματική ήταν η επίτροπος Εσωτερικών Υποθέσεων Ιλβα Γιόχανσον : « Υπάρχουν αναφορές για απωθήσεις μεταναστών, οι οποίες απαγορεύονται ρητά. Οι απωθήσεις είναι παράνομες και καλώ τις ελληνικές αρχές να τις διερευνήσουν όλες ». Μάταια διαβεβαίωναν ο κ. Χρυσοχοΐδης ότι « η Ελλάδα φυλάσσει τα ευρωπαϊκά σύνορα με αποτελεσματικό τρόπο » και ο κ. Μηταράκης ότι η κυβέρνηση « δίνει ιδιαίτερη έμφαση στην προστασία της ανθρώπινης ζωής ».

      « Σε καμία περίπτωση δεν πρέπει να αποκλειστεί ότι θα υπάρξει νέα απόπειρα να προωθηθούν μετανάστες στην Ελλάδα και την Ευρώπη. Παραμένουμε σε επαγρύπνηση και πρέπει να είμαστε όλοι μας προετοιμασμένοι για να εμποδίσουμε κάθε νέα παρόμοια απόπειρα », σημείωσε ο κ. Κουμουτσάκος, που υπογράμμισε ότι ο ρόλος της ασπίδας της Ευρώπης, τον οποίο βέβαια προθυμότατα δέχτηκε η κυβέρνηση, συνεπάγεται μια συγκεκριμένη πολιτική στα σύνορα.

      Η ευρωβουλευτής των Πρασίνων, Τινέκε Στρικ (https://twitter.com/Tineke_Strik/status/1280181951110971392), αναφέρθηκε στους θανάτους και τους τραυματισμούς μεταναστών από πυροβολισμούς, χαρακτήρισε « ασυνεπή » τη στάση της ελληνικής κυβέρνησης και σχολίασε ότι « μας λένε ότι είναι όλα καλά και πως δεν υπάρχει κανένα πρόβλημα και ύστερα ότι φταίει η Τουρκία, άρα υπάρχει πρόβλημα. Μας λένε ότι δεν υπάρχει ζήτημα· μα αυτό το ζήτημα συζητάμε εδώ. Η ελληνική κυβέρνηση δείχνει άρνηση για ό,τι συμβαίνει ».

      Η Κορνέλια Ερνστ (GUE) ζήτησε από τους Ελληνες υπουργούς να προσκομίσουν τα σχετικά βίντεο και τους ρώτησε αν μπορούν να διεξαγάγουν μια μη κομματική έρευνα, ενώ παράλληλα κάλεσε την Κομισιόν να αναλάβει δράση και να μη μένει μόνο στα λόγια.

      Ο Ισπανός Ντομενέκ Ρουί Ντεβέσα (Σοσιαλδημοκράτες) χαρακτήρισε ακροδεξιά τη διαχείριση του μεταναστευτικού από την ελληνική κυβέρνηση, προκαλώντας την έντονη αντίδραση των υπουργών Μ. Χρυσοχοΐδη και Γ. Κουμουτσάκου (ο Ν. Μηταράκης είχε αποχωρήσει για να συμμετάσχει στη συζήτηση στο ελληνικό Κοινοβούλιο), που του ζήτησαν να ανακαλέσει και συνέστησαν στους ευρωβουλευτές να είναι προσεκτικοί.

      Οσο για τους θανάτους προσφύγων στον Εβρο από πραγματικά πυρά, ο κ. Χρυσοχοΐδης επέμενε ότι « δεν έγινε χρήση όπλων, έγινε μόνο χρήση αστυνομικών μέτρων », και επικαλέστηκε το γεγονός ότι βρίσκονταν εκατοντάδες κάμερες τηλεοπτικών συνεργείων και αυτόπτες μάρτυρες. « Αν υπάρχει καταγγελία, να τη στείλετε να διερευνηθεί », είπε. Αλλά βέβαια οι θάνατοι και οι πυροβολισμοί έχουν καταγραφεί σε κάμερες και ηχητικό υλικό, γεγονός που αναιρεί πλήρως τον ισχυρισμό του υπουργού, ενώ υποτίθεται ότι η κυβέρνηση έχει διερευνήσει τις καταγγελίες.

      Η κατάσταση για τους Ελληνες υπουργούς έγινε χειρότερη στο δεύτερο μέρος της συζήτησης, όταν ο εκτελεστικός διευθυντής της Frontex, Φαμπρίτσε Λετζέρι, παραδέχτηκε ότι σε επιχείρηση ταχείας επέμβασης στα θαλάσσια σύνορα η ελληνική ακτοφυλακή έδωσε εντολή σε σκάφος της Δανίας να μην επιβιβάσει μετανάστες και να τους επαναπροωθήσει στην Τουρκία. Οπως είπε, ζήτησε άμεσα εξηγήσεις από την Ελλάδα για να λάβει την απάντηση « ότι έγινε παρανόηση, κάποιος δεν κατάλαβε καλά την εντολή ! ».

      Στο θέμα των παράνομων επαναπροωθήσεων αναφέρθηκε και ο Μίνως Μουζουράκης από την οργάνωση Υποστήριξη Προσφύγων στο Αιγαίο, λέγοντας « είδαμε κάποιες φορές το Λιμενικό να μην κάνει επιχειρήσεις διάσωσης παρόλο που οι μετανάστες είχαν εκπέμψει SOS, ενώ έχουμε δει ανθρώπους να μένουν στη θάλασσα για 17 ώρες... ». Αλλος ευρωβουλευτής διαμαρτυρήθηκε για το επιχείρημα της ελληνικής κυβέρνησης ότι οι καταγγελίες είναι τουρκική προπαγάνδα. « Είμαστε όλοι εδώ όργανα της τουρκικής κυβέρνησης ; » αναρωτήθηκε σε έντονο ύφος.

      ΣΗΜΕΙΩΣΗ :

      Στο αρχικό κείμενο, μεταφέρθηκε λανθασμένα, με βάση την ταυτόχρονη διερμηνεία της συνεδρίασης στα ελληνικά, η δήλωση του Γιώργου Κουμουτσάκου. Ο αναπληρωτής υπουργός Μετανάστευσης και Ασύλου εμφανιζόταν να λέει ότι δεν πρέπει να αποκλειστεί η ανάγκη επαναπροώθησης παράτυπων μεταναστών. Η σωστή μετάφραση της δήλωσης είναι : « Σε καμία περίπτωση δεν πρέπει να αποκλειστεί ότι θα υπάρξει νέα απόπειρα να προωθηθούν μετανάστες στην Ελλάδα και την Ευρώπη [σσ. εκ μέρους της Τουρκίας] Παραμένουμε σε επαγρύπνηση και πρέπει να είμαστε όλοι μας προετοιμασμένοι για να εμποδίσουμε κάθε νέα παρόμοια απόπειρα ». Η διόρθωση έχει περιληφθεί στο κείμενο.

      https://www.efsyn.gr/ellada/dikaiomata/250964_alla-logia-n-agapiomaste

      –---

      Du grand n’importe quoi...

      Le spectacel donné hier Notis Mitarakis (Ministre grec de la politique migratoire), George Koumoutsakos (Vice-ministre de la politique migratoire) et Michalis Chrysochoidis (Ministre de la Protection du Citoyen – euphémisme pour Ministre de l’Ordre Public) à la commission LIBE du Parlement européen est lamentable et fait honte au pays● Les ministres grecs ont reçu des salves des questions concernant les révélations sur les violences et les morts à la frontière grecque et n’ont pas réussi à apporter même l’ombre d’une réponse sur le fond de cette affaire !

      La réunion de la commission des libertés civiles, de la justice et des affaires intérieures du Parlement européen sur la situation aux postes frontaliers gréco-turcs et le respect des droits de l’homme a tourné en Waterloo pour les trois ministres grecs.

      L’image des ministres grecs, recevant des rafales des questions sur les opérations de dissuasion et de refoulements illégaux, et sur les violences incontrôlables et les morts à Evros, a été vraiment désolante. Ils n’ont réussi à donner aucune réponse précise, au contraire, ils n’ont cessé de remâcher des généralités sur le respect des droits de l’homme, du droit international et la protection de la vie humaine de la part de la Grèce, se retournant même contre les députés en raison de leurs remarques tranchantes. Leur attitude a été vivement critiquée.

      "Ils sont tout le temps hors sujet, comme s’ils avaient été invités à un mariage où ils récitent des éloges funéraires", a ironisé un député européen, tandis que le président de la commission, Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar a déclaré : "Ils ne veulent pas répondre, c’est la conclusion politique de la réunion". . La réunion a eu lieu juste après la publication de la vidéo de l’équipe de recherche de Forensic Architecture sur le meurtre du réfugié syrien de 22 ans à Evros et de nombreuses publications sur la politique du gouvernement grec aux frontières , ainsi que des dénonciations envoyées à la Commission par des Organisations de défense des droits de l’homme telles que Human Rights Watch et Amnesty International.

      Ylva Johansson, commissaire aux affaires intérieures, était catégorique : "Il y a de rapports sur les refoulements de migrants qui sont explicitement interdites. Les refoulements sont illégaux et j’appelle les autorités grecques à enquêter sur tous les cas dénoncés ». En vain, M. Chrysochoidis avait affirmé que "la Grèce protège efficacement les frontières européennes" et M. Mitarakis que le gouvernement "met l’accent sur la protection de la vie humaine".

      « Il ne faut en aucun cas exclure une nouvelle tentative de pousser des migrants vers la Grèce et l’Europe. Nous restons vigilants et nous devons tous être prêts afin d’empêcher de nouvelles tentatives de ce type », a déclaré M. Koumoutsakos, qui a souligné que le rôle du bouclier européen, que le gouvernement a assumé sans rechigner, se traduit par un certain type de gestion politique à la frontière.

      L’eurodéputée du groupe de Verts Tineke Strick a mentionné les migrants morts ou blessés par tirs de balles, et a qualifié la position du gouvernement grec comme "incohérente" : elle a déclaré que "on nous dit que tout va bien et qu’il n’y a pas de problème, et ensuite on nous dit que c’est la faute de la Turquie, ce qui veut dire qu’il y a effectivement un problème. On nous dit qu’il n’y a pas de problème, mais nous en discutons ici. Le gouvernement grec est dans le déni de ce qui se passe. " L’eurodéputée Cornelia Ernst (GUE) a demandé aux ministres grecs de fournir les vidéos pertinentes et leur a demandé s’ils pouvaient mener une enquête non partisane, tout en appelant la Commission à entreprendre des actions et ne pas en rester à la dénonciation. L’Espagnol Domènec Ruiz Devesa (sociaux-démocrates) a parlé de la gestion de l’immigration par le gouvernement grec comme étant d’extrême droite, provoquant la réaction vive des ministres Chrysochoidis et G. Koumoutsakos qui lui ont demandé de retirer ce qu’il venait de dire et ont conseillé aux députés de faire attention.

      Quant aux morts de réfugiés à Evros suite à de tirs à balles réelles, M. Chrysochoidis a insisté sur le fait qu ’"il y a eu aucun usage d’arme, seules des mesures de police ont été déployés", et a évoqué le fait qu’il y avait sur place des centaines de caméras de télévision et de témoins oculaires. "S’il y a une dénonciation, envoyez-la pour enquête", a-t-il dit. Cependant, les décès et les tirs ont été effectivement enregistrés sur caméra et documents audio, ce qui dément complètement les dires du ministre, quant à l’enquête, le gouvernement est censé avoir déjà enquêté sur les allégations.

      La situation des ministres grecs s’est aggravée pendant la deuxième partie de la débat, lorsque le directeur général de Frontex, Fabrice Leggeri, a admis que lors d’une opération rapide à la frontière maritime, les garde-côtes grecs ont ordonné à un bateau danois de ne pas embarquer des migrants et de les refouler vers ka Turquie. Comme il l’a dit, il a immédiatement demandé des explications à la Grèce afin de recevoir la réponse "qu’il y a eu un malentendu, quelqu’un n’a pas bien compris l’ordre !".

      Minos Mouzourakis de l’ONG RSA (Refugees Support Aegean), a également parlé sur la question des refoulements illégaux, affirmant que "quelquefois nous avons vu la Garde côtière ne pas effectuer d’opérations de sauvetage, malgré le fait que les migrants avaient lancé un SOS, et nous avons même vu des personnes rester en mer pendant 17 heures. .. ». Un autre député européen a protesté contre l’argument brandi par le gouvernement grec, selon lequel les allégations de refoulement et de tirs mortels relèvent de la propagande turque. "Sommes-nous tous ici des organes du gouvernement turc ?" a-t-il clamé.

      Traduction reçue via la mailing-list Migreurop, le 07.07.2020

    • Interpellé sur les accusations de Peter Tauber, le secrétaire d’Etat à l’Immigration #George_Koumoutsakos a indirectement mais clairement reconnu l’existence des opérations illégales de refoulement à la frontière grecque. Il a sous-entendu que de telles opérations qui violent le droit international permettent à la Grèce d’assurer son rôle de ’#bouclier_de_l'Europe' et de protéger sa propre population des migrants porteurs éventuels du virus. Il a même insisté sur le fait que la Grèce ne peut pas être à la fois félicitée de garder de frontières européennes et être mise sur le banc des accusés. Mis à part cet aveu indirect mais transparent des opérations de refoulement de plus en plus violentes par un membre du gouvernement grec, la responsabilité des instances européennes pour cette politique criminelle d’une soi-disant ’protection’ à n’importe quel prix des frontières européennes devient évidente.

      https://www.efsyn.gr/stiles/ypografoyn/255729_faidri-omologia-koymoytsakoy (en grec)

      –-----

      Un aveu qui frôle le ridicule

      Le secrétaire d’Etat à l’Immigration Koumoutsakos reconnaît que des refoulements illégaux font partie de l’arsenal de la Grèce, en tant que « bouclier de l’Europe »

      C’est l’image d’une confusion totale et d’un double langage que donne donnée le gouvernement grec, concernant les allégations très graves d’opérations illégales de dissuasion et de refoulement les réfugiés à la frontière ; celles-ci ne font plus seulement l’objet de publication dans la presse internationale et grecque, mais sont confirmées par les gouvernements des états participant à la force navale de la mer Égée, comme l’Allemagne et le Danemark, ainsi que par le directeur de l’agence FRONTEX Fabrice Leggeri.

      Le gouvernement a catégoriquement nié tout soupçon de telles opérations illégales et a vaguement fait référence à des enquêtes, sans, bien entendu, les présenter. Il a même accusé la presse et les députés de l’opposition de reproduire des mensonges de propagande turque, une accusation vulgaire et dangereuse. Tout d’un coup, le disque a changé.

      En réponse à la publication de plaintes par le gouvernement allemand, le secrétaire d’état à l’Immigration et de l’Asile George Koumoutsakos n’a pas seulement nié les allégations de violation flagrante du droit international, mais les a adoptées indirectement mais clairement dans une interview télévisée à la chaîne ANT1 ( en grec à partir du 20ième minute). Il a recouru à un certain nombre d’excuses ridicules, en mentionnant le rôle de la Grèce comme "bouclier de l’Europe", les félicitations données au pays par les dirigeants européens début mars à Evros, et il a même fait appel à l’éventuelle connexion de la pandémie du coronavirus avec l’immigration et à la nécessité de protéger la Grèce. Une protection à assurer avec des fusillades à Evros, des violences et des refoulements illégales ? Des propos qui seraient ridicules si ils n’étaient pas si dangereux qui s’adressent à l’auditoire d’extrême droite du gouvernement et à ses fidèles porte-paroles.

      Plusieurs fois dans le passé, M. Koumoutsakos a tenté d’établir un lien similaire entre les réfugiés et le coronavirus et a été solennellement démenti par des membres même du gouvernement. Mais le problème n’est pas le manque de sérieux du ministre ni son argumentation identique à celui de l’extrême droite. Le problème est que la violation du droit international des réfugiés est la politique officielle du gouvernement grec et elle sape la crédibilité internationale du pays à un moment critique.

      Reçu via Viky Skoumbi via la mailing-list Migreurop, le 17.08.2020

    • Το Βερολίνο καταλογίζει στην Αθήνα παράνομες επαναπροωθήσεις

      H γερμανική κυβέρνηση βρίσκεται « σε συνεχή επαφή » με την ελληνική για τις επαναπροωθήσεις. Της επιρρίπτει παραβίαση του Διεθνούς Δικαίου. Πρόκειται για μια αλλαγή στάσης σε σύγκριση με το πρόσφατο παρελθόν.

      Για πρώτη φορά η γερμανική κυβέρνηση καταλογίζει δημόσια στην Ελλάδα παράνομες επαναπροωθήσεις προσφύγων στην Τουρκία. Αυτό προκύπτει από επιστολή του υφυπουργού Άμυνας Πέτερ Τάουμπερ. Σύμφωνα με τον χριστιανοδημοκράτη πολιτικό, πληρώματα του γερμανικού πολεμικού ναυτικού έγιναν τους τελευταίους μήνες, σε δύο περιπτώσεις, μάρτυρες παράνομων επαναπροωθήσεων στα τουρκικά ύδατα στο Αιγαίο. Όπως τονίζει ο κ.Τάουμπερ, « η γερμανική κυβέρνηση βρίσκεται σε συνεχή επαφή με την ελληνική κυβέρνηση και εφιστά την προσοχή στους ισχύοντες κανόνες του Διεθνούς Δικαίου. »

      Η επιστολή του κ. Τάουμπερ με ημερομηνία 6 Αυγούστου είναι απάντηση σε επερώτηση του βουλευτή Αντρέι Χούνκο. Ο πολιτικός του κόμματος Η Αριστερά είχε ζητήσει να ενημερωθεί σχετικά με το εάν πληρώματα του γερμανικού πολεμικού ναυτικού και της αεροπορίας έχουν παρατηρήσει σκάφη της ελληνικής ακτοφυλακής ή και της Frontex να παρεμποδίζουν φουσκωτά με πρόσφυγες, να εισέλθουν στα ελληνικά ύδατα ή ακόμη να τα ρυμουλκούν πίσω στην Τουρκία.

      Παραδοχή των επαναπροωθήσεων

      Στην απάντηση του, ο κ.Τάουμπερ επιβεβαιώνει ότι το πλήρωμα του εφοδιαστικού σκάφους « Berlin » που ηγείται της Μόνιμης Ναυτικής Δύναμης 2 του ΝΑΤΟ στο Αιγαίο, παρακολούθησε στις 19 Ιουνίου περιστατικό όπως το περιγράφει στην επερώτηση του ο βουλευτής. Στο ίδιο έγγραφο ο υφυπουργός Άμυνας επιβεβαιώνει επίσης ότι το γερμανικό ναυτικό ήταν μάρτυρας ενός παρόμοιου περιστατικού. Από τα συμφραζόμενα προκύπτει ότι πρόκειται για πρόσφυγες που είχαν φτάσει στις 30 Απριλίου στη Χίο και οι οποίοι αυθημερόν μεταφέρθηκαν βίαια σε τουρκικά ύδατα. Παράλληλα ο κ.Τάουμπερ ενημερώνει ότι στις 4 Ιουνίου το « Berlin » διέσωσε στο Αιγαίο 32 άτομα που επέβαιναν σε λέμβο και διέτρεχαν κίνδυνο να πνιγούν.

      Η απάντηση του γερμανού υφυπουργού Άμυνας συνιστά αλλαγή στάσης της γερμανικής κυβέρνησης. Μέχρι πρόσφατα ακόμη αρνούνταν να καταγγείλει την Ελλάδα δημόσια για παράνομες επαναπροωθήσεις. Ενδεικτική για τη μέχρι πρότινος γερμανική στάση είναι η απάντηση που είχε δώσει στις 22 Ιουνίου στο γερμανικό κοινοβούλιο ο υφυπουργός Εσωτερικών Χέλμουτ Τάιχμαν σε ερώτηση της βουλευτού Λουίζε Άμτσμπεργκ. Η πολιτικός των Πρασίνων ζήτησε να ενημερωθεί κατά πόσο έχουν πέσει στην αντίληψη γερμανών αστυνομικών και στρατιωτών που συμμετέχουν σε αποστολές της Frontex και του ΝATO στην Ελλάδα παράνομες επαναπροωθήσεις. Στην απάντηση του, ο υφυπουργός Τάιχμαν είχε επισημάνει πως η « δημόσια αποκάλυψη » τέτοιων στοιχείων « θα μπορούσε να έχει αρνητικές επιπτώσεις στις δραστηριότητες του ΝΑΤΟ στο Αιγαίο καθώς και στις διμερείς σχέσεις μεταξύ Γερμανίας και Ελλάδας και επομένως να βλάψει τα συμφέροντα της Γερμανίας. » Αυτή η επιφυλακτικότητα δεν φαίνεται πλέον να ισχύει.

      Αμφισβήτηση του ρόλου της Frontex

      Σε σημερινή του δήλωση, ο βουλευτής του κόμματος Η Αριστερά Αντρέι Χούνκο καταλογίζει στο γερμανικό ναυτικό πως με την παθητική του στάση συνεργεί στις επαναπροωθήσεις και στη γερμανική κυβέρνηση ότι « παραβιάζει το Διεθνές Δίκαιο ». Οι αποστολές της Frontex στην Ελλάδα πρέπει σύμφωνα με τον κ. Χούνκο να διακοπούν διότι η ελληνική κυβέρνηση παραβιάζει την Ευρωπαϊκή Σύμβαση Δικαιωμάτων του Ανθρώπου.

      https://www.dw.com/el/%CF%84%CE%BF-%CE%B2%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AF%CE%BD%CE%BF-%CE%BA%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%B1%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%B3%CE%AF%CE%B6%CE%B5%CE%B9-%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B7%CE%BD-%CE%B1%CE%B8%CE%AE%CE%BD%CE%B1-%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%AC%CE%BD%CE%BF%CE%BC%CE%B5%CF%82-%CE%B5%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B1%CF%80%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%89%CE%B8%CE%AE%CF%83%CE%B5%CE%B9%CF%82/a-54527198

    • Greek Migration Min. Responds to Reports of “Organized Forced Return of Migrants”

      The Greek Ministry of Migration & Asylum refuted reports that it was “organizing the forced return of migrants” on Friday and called related media reports “a systematic effort to distort facts in order to serve specific goals.”

      The policy of the ministry is to work in observance of international laws, “as a contemporary European country that welcomes refugees who are in true need, assists them and supports them to integrate in society and function independently. However, illegal migration remains one of the most serious and sensitive issues that we face as a Greek country and Greek society the last five years, and as a country that serves as an entry gate to the European Union.”

      In this context, it noted, “we obviously proceed to departures, with an emphasis on returns - voluntary or not - of people who are not entitled to international protection” and it called for “greater attention in evaluating such facts as true and reliable.”

      https://www.thenationalherald.com/greece_politics/arthro/greek_migration_min_responds_to_reports_of_organized_forced_retur

    • UNHCR concerned by pushback reports, calls for protection of refugees and asylum-seekers

      UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, remains deeply concerned by an increasing number of credible reports indicating that men, women and children may have been informally returned to Turkey immediately after reaching Greek soil or territorial waters in recent months.

      UNHCR firmly reiterates its call on Greece to refrain from such practices and to seriously investigate these reports, which include a series of credible and direct accounts that have been recorded by the UNHCR Office in Greece and have been brought to the attention of the responsible authorities. Given the nature, content, frequency, and consistency of these accounts, a proper investigation should be launched without further delay.

      UNHCR fully respects the legitimate right of States to control their borders and recognizes the challenges posed by mixed migration movements at the external borders of the EU. However, States must guarantee and safeguard the rights of those seeking international protection in accordance with national, European and international law. Every individual has the right for their case to be heard and their protection needs assessed.

      “Greece and its people have shown immense solidarity and compassion with thousands of refugees and asylum-seekers who have sought safety in the country since 2015,” said Philippe Leclerc, UNHCR Representative in Greece. “The numbers of refugee arrivals have significantly dropped since then but there are still people who continue to seek protection and asylum in Greece and in Europe,” he said.

      “Safeguarding Greece’s borders and protecting refugees are not mutually exclusive. Both are and should be possible. This is not a dilemma but a balance that must be struck,” said Leclerc. “Otherwise, the consequences may be far-reaching and damaging: for the people whose lives and safety may be put at risk; for the upholding of fundamental principles of international and European law; for long-since recognized human rights norms and values, that may be irreparably undermined,” he added.

      UNHCR is particularly concerned about the increasing reports, since March 2020, of alleged informal returns by sea of persons who, according to their own attestations or those of third persons, have disembarked on Greek shores and have thereafter been towed back to sea. Worryingly, UNHCR has also received reports and testimonies about people being left adrift at sea for a long time, often on unseaworthy and overcrowded dinghies, waiting to be rescued.

      UNHCR has also called for further preventive measures against such practices, for clear rules of process at the border and internal monitoring mechanisms, including through the reinforcement of the role of the Greek Ombudsman.

      Saving lives must be the first priority – both on land and at sea. UNHCR acknowledges the challenges faced by frontline states like Greece and calls on EU Member States to demonstrate their solidarity with Greece, particularly through the relocation of asylum-seekers.

      Solutions can be achieved through combating smuggling, expanding legal options for migration, and ensuring that all those in need of protection have effective access to it. At the same time, the return of those who, after a formal assessment of their needs, are found not to be in need of international protection is also part of effective migration management and should be consistently addressed and supported.

      The right to seek asylum is a fundamental human right. With concerted efforts and cooperation between all concerned states and the EU, managing borders can be achieved and protection concerns of refugees addressed.

      https://www.unhcr.org/gr/en/16207-unhcr-concerned-by-pushback-reports-calls-for-protection-of-refugees-an

    • Refoulements illégaux de migrants en mer : des rumeurs relayées par des passeurs, selon Athènes

      Visées par de multiples accusations sur des refoulements illégaux de migrants en mer, les autorités grecques ont estimé que ces allégations étaient le résultat d’une « propagande » menée par les réseaux de passeurs.

      Le ministre des migrations grec, Notis Mitarachi a déclaré, lundi 31 août, que des passeurs étaient à l’origine des déclarations, reléguées au rang de rumeurs, selon lesquelles Athènes expulse illégalement des demandeurs d’asile.

      « Ces incidents n’ont rien de réel », a assuré Notis Mitarachi à la BBC. Selon ce dernier, les passeurs réagiraient aux mesures strictes prises ces derniers mois par Athènes pour freiner l’immigration illégale dans le pays. Des mesures qui, d’après lui, nuisent au business des passeurs.

      « Nous pensons qu’il s’agit du résultat d’une propagande menée par des réseaux de trafic illégal qui perdent des dizaines de millions d’euros », a-t-il affirmé.

      Multiples accusations

      Plusieurs organisations de défense des droits de l’Homme, dont le Haut-commissariat de l’ONU pour les réfugiés (HCR), ont à plusieurs reprises exhorté la Grèce à enquêter sur ces accusations de « push-backs ».

      À la mi-août, des soldats de l’armée allemande ont apporté une confirmation à ces accusations en assurant que des embarcations se dirigeant vers la Grèce avaient été repoussées vers les eaux territoriales turques.

      InfoMigrants avait par ailleurs reçu une vidéo tournée en mer Égée le 30 avril attestant de telles pratiques. Ces images montraient un navire des garde-côtes grecs faire d’énormes vagues autour d’une embarcation de migrants pour les empêcher de rejoindre l’île de Lesbos.

      Plus récemment, des révélations accablantes du New York Times ont jeté la lumière sur le fait que la Grèce a « abandonné » plus d’un millier de migrants en mer depuis le mois de mars, ce qu’Athènes dément. Le journal américain affirme que les autorités grecques laissent les embarcations dériver pour que les garde-côtes turcs leur portent secours.

      « Nous protégeons nos frontières avec détermination »

      Face à ce concert de critiques, les autorités grecques ne dévient pas de leur position. Pour toute réponse à ces accusations, Notis Mitarachi s’est contenté de souligner que les garde-côtes grecs avaient récemment secouru « des dizaines » de migrants et que les garde-côtes turcs avaient, eux, escorté « à de nombreuses occasions » des canots de passeurs dans les eaux grecques.

      « Nous protégeons nos frontières avec détermination, dans le cadre des obligations internationales et des règles européennes », a déclaré Notis Mitarachi. « La Grèce ne peut pas être la porte d’entrée de l’Europe. »

      Le Premier ministre grec, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, a également démenti les accusations de refoulements illégaux, accusant la Turquie de colporter de « fausses informations » à propos des mesures « dures mais justes » appliquées par Athènes.

      La Grèce, pays par lequel plus d’un million de personnes sont passées au cours des années 2015-2016, entretient des relations tendues avec la Turquie. Les deux États ne s’entendent ni sur la question migratoire, ni sur celle des recherches d’hydrocarbures menées par la Turquie en Méditerranée orientale dans des zones disputées à la Grèce et à Chypre.

      https://www.infomigrants.net/fr/post/26982/refoulements-illegaux-de-migrants-en-mer-des-rumeurs-relayees-par-des-

    • Pushbacks Across the Evros/Meriç River: Situated Testimony

      For years, migrants and refugees crossing the Evros/Meriç River from Turkey to Greece have testified to being detained, beaten, and ‘pushed back’ across the river to Turkey, by unidentified masked men, in full secrecy, at night, and without being granted access to asylum procedures.

      Greek and EU authorities systematically deny any wrongdoing and refuse to investigate these reports.

      The Evros/Meriç river delineates the only ‘land’ border between Greece and Turkey. Spanning from the trilateral border with Bulgaria in the north, where the river is called Maritsa, to the Aegean Sea in the south, this so-called ‘natural’ border has in recent years been incorporated into a wider ecosystem of border defence. Its natural processes have been weaponised to deter and let die those who attempt to cross it and to obfuscate this violence and deflect responsibility.

      For independent researchers, the militarisation of this border region makes access extremely difficult; a restricted ‘buffer zone’ runs along both banks of the river. Detention centres and border guard stations are often located within this buffer zone, keeping detained people out of sight and without access to legal support.

      Witnesses describe having their phones, documents, and possessions confiscated and often thrown into the river, suggesting an operation that is carefully designed to remove any potential evidence of human rights violations.

      Using an interview technique called ‘situated testimony’ we collected and corroborated evidence to prove the practice of ‘pushbacks’ at Evros/Meriç river, are methodical and widespread, and to identify the agents and agencies responsible. Situated Testimony is a technique of interviewing developed by Forensic Architecture, which uses 3D models of the scenes and environments in which traumatic events occurred to aid in the process of interviewing and gathering testimony from witnesses to those events. Together with an architectural researcher, a witness is filmed reconstructing the scene of an event, exploring and accessing their memories of the episode in a controlled and secure manner.

      https://forensic-architecture.org/investigation/evros-situated-testimony

  • More deaths of refugees on the Balkan route

    “The bodies of two younger men were found in the #Mrežnica River on Thursday (https://www.jutarnji.hr/vijesti/crna-kronika/iz-rijeke-mreznice-izvucena-tijela-dvojice-muskaraca-po-svemu-sudeci-radi-s). In the last three years, not counting these cases, 25 refugees have died in this area, and drowning in rivers is prevalent. Approximately one body per month appeared in one of the rivers, and only in Mrežnica six of them were found this June.”

    Reçu via la mailing-list Inicijativa Dobrodosli, mail du 01.07.2020

    #décès #morts #mourir_dans_la_forteresse_europe #Croatie #asile #migrations #réfugiés #route_des_balkans #frontière_sud-alpine #Mrežnica_River #Mreznica #frontières

    –—

    Ajouté à la métaliste sur les morts à la frontière alpine :
    https://seenthis.net/messages/758646#message806448

  • Asylum seekers illegally returned from Italy to Slovenia, NGOs claim

    Two migrant-aid organizations are accusing authorities in northeastern Italy of illegally returning asylum seekers to Slovenia. They also claim that readmission procedures between Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia prevent people from asking for asylum in the EU.
    The Italian Consortium of Solidarity (ICS) and Catholic charity Caritas in Trieste published a statement on May 28, saying that they were strongly concerned about “the implementation of informal readmissions of migrants” from Italy to Slovenia.

    The two organizations provide housing to immigrants in the province of Trieste in northeastern Italy, near the border with Slovenia.

    ICS and Caritas said that it is illegal for authorities to return those who intend to apply for asylum. They said asylum requests must be registered before authorities check whether the applicant might have applied in another EU country. Under the Dublin Regulation, asylum seekers can be transferred back to the first EU country where they were registered.

    Migrants ’illegitimately sent away from EU’?

    ICS and Caritas also claimed that readmission procedures between Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia enabled authorities to “illegitimately turn away... those who have entered to apply for protection” from European Union territory. These people, “are subjected to grave violence throughout the so-called Balkan route,” they said in their statement.

    Pierpaolo Roberti, the security councilor of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, where Trieste is located, responded to the statement, saying that authorities will “move ahead with informal readmissions.” He said that the police and the prefect had his “full support.” Roberti belongs to the far-right League party, which is known for its harsh anti-migrant policies.

    He said he hopes that “as many people as possible continue to be readmitted to Slovenia and, in addition, that we strive to totally stop that migration flow.”


    https://www.infomigrants.net/en/post/25114/asylum-seekers-illegally-returned-from-italy-to-slovenia-ngos-claim
    #Slovénie #Italie #push-back #push-backs #renvois #frontière_sud-alpine #refoulements #refoulement #Alpes #frontières #asile #migrations #réfugiés

    ping @isskein

    • AYS Special: Italian Court StopsDeportation to Slovenia, Meanwhile Pushbacks Continue

      Italy has become the latest link in chain push backs where literally thousands of people — often violently — end up in the overcrowded camps of Bosnia and Serbia.

      Contradictory approaches in Italy

      An Italian court stopped deportation to Slovenia on the grounds that there is a risk for an asylum seeker to be subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment due to the high possibility of him (or her) being further expelled to Croatia and then to Bosnia or Serbia. However, although the court stopped the deportation of a single individual, collective push-backs from Italy are becoming increasingly common in the months since the judgement made by the court in Genova (April 7th). Thus Italian courts are acknowledging the cruel and inhumane treatment that a returnee is subjected to but, on the other hand, the Italian government is massively increasing the scope of push-backs to Slovenia, as is evident in the recent decision to deploy the army with police jurisdiction.

      16.000 people were returned to Croatia from Slovenia in the last two years.

      These are people who were caught and were processed in police stations with charges of illegal border crossing. When a person asks for asylum in slovenia, he is often faced with threats or the asylum claim is simply ignored and in the official records he is reported as an “economic migrant” — a category invented by the Ministry of Interior and the Police and not encompassed by any law. If one is classified as an “economic migrant” who has no interest to seek asylum, he can be returned to Croatia under a bilateral readmission agreement from 2006.

      The Court in Italy is concerned over systemic deficiencies in the Slovene asylum system and finds real risk for an asylum seeker to be subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment if deported to Slovenia. Meanwhile, reports of daily informal deportations from theItalian — Slovene border are becoming more and more common.

      COURT RULING: “…the risk of the applicant being subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment in Slovenia seems justified …

      In early April a court in Genoa, Italy found that:

      “Based on the submitted documentation and additional information obtained by this court proprio motu, the applicant’s complaint — given the conditions of receiving refugees in Slovenia and systemic shortcomings in the asylum procedure — seems justified. (…)

      In this case, the risk of the applicant being subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment in Slovenia seems justified (…) The data collected raise serious concerns about the reception and asylum system currently in force in Slovenia and in general about the atmosphere of cultural intolerance and discrimination prevailing in civil society, among government leaders and between police forces towards foreigners who have entered the country illegally, who have lodged or intend to lodge an application for international protection.”

      The complaint was lodged by a Pakistani asylum seeker, represented by Alessandra Ballerini, who had first filed the application for international protection in Slovenia and was consequently expected to be deported from Italy to Slovenia according to the Dublin regulation.

      The complaint stipulated that such a deportation would violate, inter alia, paragraph 2 of Article 3 of the Dublin Regulation due to systemic deficiencies in the asylum system in Slovenia. The court agreed and refused to deport the asylum seeker to Slovenia, “because of the danger that he would be treated there contrary to fundamental humanitarian principles and contrary to the provisions of Article 4 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights”.

      As reported by Primorski dnevnik, the judges came to this conclusion taking into account reports of non-governmental organizations on the deteriorating treatment of migrants in Slovenia in the past two years and a 2018 report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which confirms allegations by non-governmental organizations of collective expulsions and violence against migrants in the Balkan region, including Croatia and Slovenia.

      Reports of several Slovenian and International NGOs and civil society actors (Amnesty International, Are You Syrious?, InfoKolpa, Border Violence Monitoring Network) highlight the issue of the Slovenian police authority’s illegal restrictions of access to asylum and practice of forced returns of asylum seekers without a proper assessment of whether their human rights would be violated in other countries via an informal procedure and without the possibility to appeal the deportation (push-backs).

      This was shown by several fact-finding missions: a survey from 2018 by Amnesty International obtained testimonies of 51 people in Velika Kladuša and Bihać in BiH, who were returned to the hands of the Croatian authorities by the Slovenian police, despite the fact that they wanted to apply for asylum in Slovenia.

      Report on illegal practices of collective expulsion at the Slovene-Croatian border by InfoKolpa documents numerous cases of groups of migrants rejected by Slovenian police and returned to Croatia and further to Bosnia despite explicitly showing intention to file for asylum in Slovenia between 11th September and 7th November 2018 via an Alarmphone report; reports by No Name Kitchen and Balkan Violence Monitoring show collective expulsion and violent return of asylum seekers to the Bosnian border surrounding Velika Kladuša as a routine occurrence initiated by Croatian and Slovenian police forces.

      In one year there were 4,653 out of a total of 9,149 intercepted migrants that were collectively deported to Croatia. The above-mentioned reports also cite further official statistics from the Slovenian police, which show a change in practice between May and June 2018, when returns to Croatia increased sharply, while at the same time the number of people applying for asylum dropped severely. Police statistic from police station of a border town Črnomelj state that in May 2018, 371 of the 379 migrants considered (97.88% of all) applied for asylum; after receiving different instructions from the Chief of police, in June only 13 of the 412 migrants, ie 3.15%, lodged an asylum application.

      NGOs accuse the Slovenian government and police of preventing refugees from filing asylum applications and of carrying out collective forced returns without a proper and individual assessment of whether their human rights will be violated in other countries and without the possibility of appeal.

      Returns to Croatia are carried out on the basis of a controversial bilateral agreement between the two countries from 2006 (when Croatia was not yet a member of European Union), which enables informal returns under an abbreviated procedure. According to the court in Genoa, such an abbreviated procedure violates Slovenia’s human rights obligations.

      These findings are further corroborated by an official 2018 report of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which confirms allegations by non-governmental organizations of collective rejection and violence against migrants in the Balkan region, including Croatia and Slovenia.

      Primorski dnevnik cites the court decision featuring portions of NGO reports, saying:

      “Threats, violence, abuse of power and denial of fundamental rights have become common practice at border police stations, and collective deportations to Croatia are repeated daily with the support and awareness of senior police and government officials, despite the high risk of further police violence and theft in Croatia.”

      Slovenian daily newspaper Dnevnik asked Slovenian police for comments on the judgement, and they replied that their procedures were legal and professional, that the guidelines for the work of police officers had already been made public and that UNHCR had not discovered any irregularities when visiting police stations. The Ministry of the Interior replied that they were fully implementing EU legislation in the field of international protection, and that they were not aware of the ruling and could not comment on it.

      Though there was a decrease of irregular entries into Slovenia during the past few months there was an increase of record irregular entries recorded by Italian authorities. This has resulted in minor diplomatic tension between the countries where Slovenia has been dismissed as not being diligent enough in their Schengen gatekeeping duties.
      We suspect that there are two reasons that Italian authorities are recording an increase of border crossings:

      First, as InfoMigrants reported, as part of covid-19 measure the Italian authorities announced temporary legalisation of undocumented residents. We suspect that this might be a reason for a greater number of people reporting themselves and, thus, creating a spike in official records. Connected with this reason might be the Covid-19 measures as traveling became more difficult a greater number of people might be pressed to weather the virus in border municipalities (such as Trieste).

      Migrants (as well as border tensions with Slovenia) are traditionally a convenient distraction for the Italian government(s) in time(s) of crisis. To show its commitment to regulating the frontier the Italian government deployed the armed forces to aid police in intercepting migrants via the last stretch of the Balkan route. As Uroš Škerl reported for the daily newspaper Dnevnik in the last month Italy returned more people than in the previous four months combined (29 compared to 27 from January to April). In a statement for Dnevnik Gianfranco Schiavone of the NGO Consorzio Italiano di Solidarietà — Ufficio Rifugiati Onlus stated:

      “What is new in the last week is that the Italian police started to return people for whom we are convinced that they have the same circumstances as their colleagues that applied for asylum and stayed in Italy.”

      These returns are now conducted with the aid of the armed forces whose deployment the interior ministry justified as “an answer on illegal migrations”. Schiavone is skeptical of the military as they are not trained to conduct border patrols and handle asylum seekers adding: “this is all just political theater”.

      This latest act of EU migration policy melodrama has actors that are less fortunate than others. According to Dnevnik there have been three groups of people (14,17,8) returned to Slovenia and we suspect that at least one of these groups (if not all) has ended up in Velika Kladuša (BIH). A video emerged with a statement of a member of one of these groups containing claims of violent treatment during the Italy-BIH pushback was published recently by a migrant/activist: “This boy who left his fingerprints in Trieste and applied for asylum ، was deported to Slovenia and gradually back to hell”.

      So, on the one hand, Italian courts have found that push backs are cruel and inhumane, yet at the same time the same government has doubled down on its commitment to condemning people to this fate that its own courts find inhumane and cruel.

      Although the condemnation of deportation is a necessary first step, unless this idea is used to hold the security forces to account for their oppression and torture of people, it will remain a hollow ruling. Europeans like to look down on the USA due to their police violence on minorities, state hypocrisy towards its own values and their border walls. Maybe we should stop looking across the ocean and look closer to home.

      Written by: Iza Thaler and Miha Turk from InfoKolpa

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      If there’s anything you want to share or comment, contact us through Facebook, Twitter or write to: areyousyrious@gmail.com

      https://medium.com/are-you-syrious/ays-special-italian-court-stops-deportation-to-slovenia-meanwhile-pushbacks-
      #refoulements_en_chaîne

    • Even from Trieste, Italy.

      “Working every day in the street with people-on-the-move has allowed medical volunteers in Trieste to witness the worsening situation at the Italian border with Slovenia. Here is a sum-up of the radical changes in the last two months, highlighting growing repression towards transit groups and a spike in pushbacks from Italian territory. The events are relayed in three distinct stages: from the start of the pandemic, the development of tighter police controls, and finally the expansion of pushbacks through the dubious “informal readmission” process”

      https://www.borderviolence.eu/news-from-trieste-covid-19-and-pushbacks

      Reçu via la mailing-list de Migreurop, le 15.06.2020

    • The Slovenian Administrative Court issued a judgement confirming that the Slovenian police committed chain pushbacks (https://www.cms.hr/hr/pravna-pomoc-azil-i-statusna-pitanja/slovenski-sud-potvrdio-hrvatska-sudjelovala-u-lancanom-nezakonitom-protjerivanju) in which Croatia also participated, as a result of which a person seeking international protection in Slovenia ended up in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the judgement, the young man identified as J.D. must be returned to Slovenia, he must be given the opportunity to seek asylum again and he must be paid compensation in the amount of € 5,000. This judgement demonstrated the importance of the work of Infokolpa, a civic initiative and a member of the Border Violence Monitoring Network, which played a key role in gathering evidence. Namely, in the judgment, the Slovenian court relied on their reports and the reports of other organisations within the BVMN, as well as media reports. It is precisely in such cases that the importance of independent reports and the importance of documenting violent pushbacks of refugees can be seen.

      However, in addition to warning of the illegal actions of the Slovenian police, this judgement also proves the role of the Croatian police in chain pushbacks of refugees to Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is time for the Croatian authorities to conduct effective investigations and make concrete efforts to stop this illegal practice.

      The brutality of pushbacks from Croatia was also experienced by a group of 16 refugees who were tortured and humiliated for five hours by unknown perpetrators in late May before being pushed back to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Precisely because of this inhumane and illegal treatment of people in search of safety, the Centre for Peace Studies filed a criminal complaint (https://www.cms.hr/hr/azil-i-integracijske-politike/cms-podnio-kaznenu-prijavu-koja-je-poveznica-policije-i-naoruzanih-nasilnika-u-c) with the State Attorney’s Office of the Republic of Croatia against unknown perpetrators who tortured the group. Eight armed men in unmarked black uniforms and with balaclavas on their heads, which according to the description given by the victims may belong to a special unit of the Ministry of the Interior, the so-called “Corridor” operation (https://net.hr/danas/hrvatska/zastrasujuca-devijacija-akcije-koridor-policija-sve-dogovara-na-whatsappu-a-pose), treated in an inhumane manner people in search of protection. Armed men wearing black tied the refugees to trees, shot at their heads and feet, beat them with everything they could get their hands on, took all of their belongings under threat of death, and in the end humiliated them by rubbing mayonnaise, ketchup and sugar into the wounds they had previously inflicted. Then, they handed the refugees, some of whom could not walk due to their serious injuries, over to the police, while the police officers then pushed them back to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The victim’s testimonies suggest a cooperation between the perpetrators in black and the police. The Centre for Peace Studies once again stressed the importance of promptly conducting an effective and independent investigation into these crimes and sanctioning the perpetrators.

      Reçu via la mailing-list Inicijativa Dobrodosli, mail du 29.07.2020

      #Croatie #refoulements_en_chaîne #Balkans #route_des_Balkans #justice #corridor_operation

    • Slovénie : la justice reconnaît l’illégalité des expulsions vers la Croatie et la Bosnie-Herzégovine

      C’est un précédent de taille : le tribunal administratif de Ljubljana a donné raison à un jeune Camerounais qui demandait l’asile en Slovénie, mais que la police a illégalement expulsé en Croatie, et qui s’est finalement retrouvé dans les camps de Velika Kladuša et Bihač, en Bosnie-Herzégovine.

      La justice slovène a confirmé dans son verdict (https://www.borderviolence.eu/wp-content/uploads/PRESS-KIT-FOR-INTERNATIONAL-MEDIA.pdf) rendu public le 17 juillet dernier que la police slovène avait commis une expulsion illégale, à laquelle la Croatie a également participé, et à la suite de quoi un Camerounais de 23 ans, J. D., qui voulait demander une protection internationale en Slovénie, s’est retrouvé en Bosnie-Herzégovine.

      J. D., qui fait partie d’une minorité anglophone persécutée au Cameroun, a été détenu deux jours durant par la police slovène. Bien qu’il ait demandé l’asile à trois reprises, sa requête n’a jamais été prise en compte. Il a d’abord été illégalement expulsé vers la Croatie, puis vers la Bosnie-Herzégovine. À la suite de la décision du tribunal administratif de Ljubljana, il a désormais le droit de revenir en Slovénie et d’y demander l’asile. L’État slovène a été condamné à lui verser une indemnité de 5000 euros. Ce jugement n’est toutefois pas définitif, l’État ayant la possibilité de faire appel devant la Cour suprême.

      L’affaire a été suivie par InfoKolp, membre du Border Violence Monitoring Network (BVMN). Dans son verdict, la justice slovène s’appuie sur un rapport de 50 pages remis en mai 2019 par InfoKolp, ainsi que sur des rapports du BVMN et de divers médias, dont Radio Študent, présente dans les camps de Velika Kladuša et de Bihač, dans le nord-ouest de la Bosnie-Herzégovine. Ce verdict constitue un important précédent qui établit les violations en série des droits de l’Homme, mais aussi l’existence d’une « chaîne » d’expulsions illégales « systématiques et routinières », selon les termes de l’avocat du plaignant, depuis la Slovénie vers Bosnie-Herzégovine avec l’aide de la police croate.

      “Une « chaîne » d’expulsions illégales « systématiques et routinières ».”

      Ce verdict confirme également ce que les ONG et institutions soulignent depuis des années : des expulsions illégales de réfugiés et de migrants ont lieu, auxquelles de nombreux pays de l’Union européenne participent. Il s’agit donc d’un indicateur fort pour les institutions européennes de ce qui se passe sur le territoire de l’UE, ainsi qu’à ses frontières extérieures et intérieures, à savoir des violations des droits de l’Homme et de l’État de droit. L’affaire étaie en outre les témoignages de milliers de réfugiés et de migrants qui ont subi des violences, expulsions illégales et violations du droit d’asile, alors que les autorités croates refusent toujours de mener des enquêtes.

      Depuis le début de l’année 2018, la police slovène a renvoyé en Croatie quelque 20 000 personnes qui ont subi des mauvais traitements de la part de la police croate. Dans le meilleurs des cas, elles ont été débarquées d’une fourgonnette à la frontière avec la Bosnie-Herzégovine, mais le plus souvent, elles ont été insultées, battues et torturées par la police.

      https://www.courrierdesbalkans.fr/Slovenie-la-justice-reconnait-une-chaine-d-expulsions-illegales-v

    • Italy-Slovenia border: ASGI’s open letter to the Italian government and UNHCR

      Background

      On July the 24th 2020, in the Italian Parliament’s lower Chamber, Undersecretary Variati on behalf of the Ministry of the Interior answered urgent questions by MP Riccardo Magi on the situation of the so-called “informal readmissions” of foreign citizens at the border between Italy and Slovenia. The response provided by the government in a note is exceptionally troubling, since it clearly violates principles of domestic and EU law on basic human rights. It should be stressed that the note contains a number of contradictions and provides no legal or case-law grounds for what it asserts.

      Before briefly examining the note’s content, it is worth recalling that “readmission” is a simplified procedure allowing a States to send a foreign citizen back at the border to the country s/he came from, when the foreigner does not meet the criteria for admission into the destination country. The basis for these actions is contained in bilateral States agreements, which must not conflict with European and international provisions on movement of people, the right to international protection and fundamental rights.

      Unregulated readmissions

      First of all, the Ministry has openly confirmed that informal readmissions do take place (without any written decision provided to the interested party), which obviously prevents the person to appeal the measure. The Ministry justified this modus operandi by making generic reference to “consolidated practices” of “accelerated readmission procedures”. As already highlighted in the open letter (still unanswered) that ASGI sent to the Government CCing UNHCR on June 5th, the expression “readmissions without formalities” contained in the bilateral Agreement between Italy and Slovenia for the readmission of persons at the border, signed in Rome on September 3rd 1996, certainly cannot be understood as implying no obligation to issue a written decision, as it is indisputable that the action taken by public security with forced accompaniment in Slovenia has effects on the legal situation of the person. Instead, it should be correctly understood in the sense that the procedures for reporting and coordinating readmission operations between the Italian and Slovenian authorities can take place without procedural burdens.

      Irrelevance of the application for international protection

      The assertion that readmissions by foreign citizens are applied “even if the intention to seek international protection has been expressed” is disconcerting. The right to international protection is a fundamental right and access to the asylum procedure and the identification of the country in charge of examining the application are regulated by EU law, notably by the Dublin III Regulation which states that “Member States shall examine any application for international protection lodged by a third-country national or a stateless person on the territory of any Member State, including at the border and in the transit areas”. The obligation for the Member State to register the application for international protection lodged at the border must be respected in all circumstances, even in cases where the applicant has crossed the border of a Member State irregularly from another Member State. The criteria of competence which establish which country will have to examine the asylum application are precisely indicated in the Regulation which in any case strictly excludes that the principles and procedures contained in the inter-state Readmission Agreements may apply.

      Subsequently, the text takes on ambiguous and contradictory tones, reassuring that “all the irregular migrants found are informed, through an interpreter, of the possibility to request international protection”, specifying that a special information booklet is distributed for this purpose. This assertion not only is contradicted by numerous testimonies collected, in Italy and abroad, but in any case would be a pointless exercise, in light of the imminent fate (i.e. readmission) that awaits also those who express their intention to seek asylum. As a further confirmation of this, the ministerial note states that “if the conditions for the readmission request are met and the same is accepted by the Slovenian authorities, there will be no formalization of the request in the police headquarters”. Declaring one’s intention to seek protection therefore produces no apparent legal effect and, consequently, entails no obligation for the Italian authorities, since if Slovenia accepts the readmission application “by completing and sending a special form in which the elements supporting the application are indicated” the foreign citizen is readmitted to Slovenia like those who have not asked for protection, therefore as an irregular foreigner. The note also does not consider that in this case the foreigner would be readmitted to Slovenia as an asylum seeker, thus opening the way to chain rejections as it has already happened in a number of cases.

      Risk of “chain” refoulements

      In relation to this practice, documented by numerous international reports, the Ministry of Interior merely replies that “Slovenia and Croatia are members of the European Union” and consequently “they are to be considered intrinsically safe countries, in terms of human rights and international conventions on the matter”. ASGI expresses serious concerns about the Slovenian and Croatian asylum systems and, above all, about the possibilities of effective access to the asylum procedure. According to Eurostat data, in the first four months of 2020, Croatia registered 400 applications for international protection, equal to 0.3% of the EU total. In Slovenia there were 490 applications registered against 6840 asylum applications registered in Italy. Furthermore, as already highlighted in the ASGI note of June 5th 2020, the right of States to reject or expel those who are not entitled to enter or remain on national territory, albeit lawful as an expression of the principle of state sovereignty, finds specific limits in that States have not only the obligation to recognize, guarantee and protect the human rights of people under their jurisdiction, but also the duty to respect human rights treaties and not to transform them into ineffective norms. The Italian government cannot pretend to ignore that migrants readmitted from Italy to Slovenia and then from Slovenia to Croatia are subsequently transferred coercively to Serbia or Bosnia-Herzegovina, that these operations take place without any written decisions being adopted and served on the foreigners and that migrants are subjected to brutal violence by both the Croatian police and members of private militias. The practice of chain refoulements was also recently recognized by the Slovenian Administrative Court which on July 16th recognized the unlawfulness of the readmission from Slovenia to Croatia and then from Croatia to Bosnia of an asylum seeker. The Slovenian judge ruled that the police had not informed the interested party of his right to apply for international protection, in clear violation of national and EU law. The readmission also violated the ban on collective expulsion because the applicant was not notified of a removal order, nor was he given legal and linguistic assistance before his readmission to Croatia. As regards chain refoulement, the ruling found “sufficiently reliable reports on the possible risks from the point of view of article 3 of the ECHR” both in Croatia, where the applicant was initially removed, and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he was subsequently rejected.

      Likely ineffectiveness, against the background above, of a service to assist migrants at border crossings

      Lastly, the note ends with the reassurance that an assistance service for foreigners in the province of Trieste will be soon activated and will be operated by CIR (Consiglio Italiano per i Rifugiati). In light of the above considerations (i.e. the substantial uselessness of the application for international protection in order to prevent the readmission mechanism), it is highly questionable whether such a service would have any effectiveness and foreign citizens could access it.

      Conclusion

      In conclusion, the note with which the Ministry of the Interior made known its position on the so-called informal readmissions of foreign citizens, including asylum seekers, on the Italian-Slovenian border, represents an ideological endorsement of unlawful procedures implemented in total contempt for domestic and EU law. Despite the controversial and sometimes obscure asylum policy in Italy, so far there hasn’t ever been such a flagrant infringement of the legality, one that may make Italian and European institutions face possible responsibilities for violations of fundamental rights taking place on the border with Slovenia.

      Due to this very serious situation

      ASGI asks the Italian government

      to immediately end the practices of unlawful readmissions at the Italian-Slovenian border;
      to give precise indications to the peripheral government offices to respect the right of asylum and in particular the effective right to access the territory and request international protection adequately;
      to report urgently before the Parliament on the situation at the eastern border by providing all the necessary data and specifically reporting on the operating procedures with which the readmissions have so far been implemented.

      ASGI asks UNHCR

      to take an open public position on the note of the Italian Government in relation to the readmissions of applicants for international protection. For understandable reasons related to its mandate, UNHCR often operates through actions of moral suasion that do not take a public dimension. However, situations, such as that covered by this analysis, require that public opinion, institutions and associations have the full right to know UNHCR’s position on such serious events taking place in the territory of the European Union;
      to implement effective direct monitoring of the situation on the eastern border which has so far been completely lacking, in the awareness that the illegal situation described has already led to the rejection of hundreds of asylum seekers and that stopping this situation must become a top priority on the part of the United Nations agency responsible for defending the very existence of the right to asylum.

      For further information, please refer to the ASGI note of June 5th 2020 and to the recent dossier “La rotta balcanica” (“The Balkan Route”) by the Network “Rivolti ai Balcani”.

      https://en.asgi.it/informal-readmissions-balkan-route-asgi-letter-government-unhcr

    • Cries for help from the Balkan Route. Access to asylum remains a problem in Slovenia.

      “They don’t care about us. We have reached the refugee shelter several times, and they send us back to Croatia.”

      This is part of a message I received on Whatsapp on July 29 from 19-year-old Mohammed from Morocco who was writing from a center in south west Slovenia where he was being held in detention.

      Mohammed explained that he had previously managed to enter Slovenia several times, crossing over the mountains, but was pushed back initially to Croatia, and then again to Bosnia and Herzegovina or Serbia. This illegal deportation practice has been documented in recent years by a number of human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and the Council of Europe, as well as some European parliamentarians.

      NGOs and human rights collectives including Amnesty International and Border Violence Monitoring Network have also said that since July 2018, people on the move have been denied their legal right to apply for asylum by Slovenian police, who have been part of an illegal chain of push backs from the EU, along Italy and Croatia to Bosnia or Serbia.

      Mohammed further told me that since July 19 he had been held alongside a number of other potential asylum seekers in the Aliens Center in #Postojna, a town in Slovenia midway between Ljubljana and the Italian border.

      Usually, people held in this center are in the process of being deported after their asylum claims have been denied, or their stay in the country has been deemed illegal, as defined by the Aliens Act. However, until recently, asylum seekers and those wanting to seek asylum like Mohammed were not being placed there unless there were specific circumstances where they were deemed a flight risk or a danger to public order.

      Through text messages, photos and videos, some of those inside the center managed to reach out to journalists like myself, as well as to some NGOs, and civil society groups.

      A group of activists subsequently organized protests on August 25 in an attempt to raise awareness about what is going on, supporting ongoing protests being held within the center by those being held in detention. They warned the public about this practice by the Slovenian police and drew parallels with the so-called Hungarian model of locking people up during their asylum process.

      Threats and deportations

      The center in Postojna where people are being detained consists of a large hangar-like building that has only lately been equipped with 14 containers. Each has six beds. Additionally, there are two sanitary containers serving as bathrooms and toilets.

      The official capacity of the complex is 180 beds, but the number of those locked-up varies daily. At the beginning of August, through email correspondence, police said that 145 people were held in the center, including 42 in the process of deportation and 65 who had requested asylum but who had not yet received an official response..

      Out of the total number, 38 individuals were registered asylum seekers.

      A few days later, police reported that 142 individuals were being held in the center, including 111 asylum seekers.

      People held in Postojna claim that when they were brought in, police told them they would be quarantined due to the pandemic.

      The General Police Directorate denied that the center in Postojna is being used as a form of quarantine, claiming that only basic medical check-ups are carried out. But in answer to questions, they also state that “the majority stays there for more than 14 days,” the quarantine period recommended by the World Health Organization for those who have been in close contact with somebody with COVID-19.

      https://vimeo.com/453221076

      Messages from those in the center claimed that even the right to request asylum was being denied, despite promises by police upon entering the center that everyone would get a chance to apply.

      Some, like Mohammed, say they have already gone through the experience of being deprived of the right to apply for asylum, and then being deported from the EU, back to the Balkans. They say they reached out to appeal for help after being threatened with deportation to Croatia 10 days after being taken to the center.

      In one of these messages sent to a local NGO, X. from Morocco wrote that the living conditions in the center are “terrible.”

      “They put us in a closed place, some people have been here 28 days and others 25 days without knowing what will happen with us,” he wrote.

      “They take out some and leave some in, even though we have the same case and were arrested in the same circumstances. There is no logic and no law. Some leave without proof of identity, while others are sentenced to three months.

      “There’s patients here and the medical care is not good, some friends are scared about what will happen with us and others are thinking of killing themselves here.”

      https://vimeo.com/453221292

      Violation of asylum laws

      The Ombudsperson’s Office in Slovenia has warned on several occasions about the problematic role of border police in asylum procedures and about the role of Postojna’s Aliens Center, which is officially considered a detention facility.

      Furthermore, in its reports the Office acknowledges that families and children were amongst those previously detained there, a controversial practice it calls to be abolished.

      The men who are currently locked up in Postojna complain of further irregularities, including accusing the translators working for the police as being corrupt and unprofessional. These echo similar claims cited by organizations including Amnesty International Slovenia, while the Ombudsperson’s office has also mentioned it in one of its reports and called on the government to react.

      Saša Zagorc, a professor of constitutional law at the Faculty of Law in Ljubljana and a member of the Odysseus Network with other experts on asylum, says that to date little has been done to address the concerns.

      “Systemic problems and irregularities when it comes to deprivation of personal liberty in Slovenia have been known and well analyzed for at least five years,” he says.

      Depriving those wanting to seek asylum of liberty is considered a measure of last resort under international law and is legal only after an individual’s specific circumstances have been taken into account and possible milder measures considered. But Professor Zagorc emphasizes a systemic lack of alternative measures in Slovenia.

      Self-organized activist collective Work-group for Asylum — part of the Ambasada Rog collective that has been working with refugees and migrants in Slovenia for years — issued a statement saying that deprivation of liberty of people who seek asylum is now used in Slovenia as a rule, and not as an exception, as stipulated in law.

      The Interior Ministry denies these allegations.

      Not standard police procedure

      The videos and photos that appeared in the public and the media at the end of July, shortly after protests within the camp, created public pressure. Three days after I received the first message from Mohammed, the men in Postojna reported they had been visited by a group of officials from the Interior Ministry with two different interpreters.

      However, three weeks later, on August 21, they still remained locked up and deprived of their liberty, with no legal counsel.

      In answer to my questions about the broader framing of the current situation in Postojna, the Ombudsperson’s Office said that part of the problem is a lack of systemic access to free legal counsel for some people deprived of their liberty in the Aliens Center.

      The official response from the Interior Ministry is that the men’s detention in Postojna might “not be a standard police procedure,” but that all police actions are lawful.

      Standard police procedure is to take asylum seekers to Ljubljana’s Asylum Center, where they have freedom of movement after a few days of quarantine and an initial interview. The Interior Ministry said that their officials can, and do, conduct first interviews with people who wish to apply for asylum in Ljubljana’s Asylum Center, as well as at other police stations.

      They explained that the asylum requests can be “deemed obviously unfounded if an individual comes from a so-called safe third country.” Such procedures aim to speed up deportations of individuals whose asylum requests have been denied.

      Human rights organizations, including the Council of Europe, however, have warned that even in such expedient procedures individual circumstances need to be considered and these may make asylum claims valid even when an applicant is from a so-called safe third country.

      The police practices are reflected in official statistics. According to the Interior Ministry, in the first half of 2020, 64 out of 120 asylum requests were rejected as “obviously unfounded.” In the same period last year, 30 out of 51 asylum requests were denied as “obviously unfounded.”

      Police instructions, exposed last month by Slovenian media, reveal that as a rule, asylum seekers are now to be taken to Postojna in an apparent attempt to speed up deportations, not to Ljubljana’s Asylum Center.

      In a phone conversation with a representative of the Legal-Informational Centre for NGOS, I find out that since late May and June they have been overwhelmed with filing legal motions to appeal the detention of asylum seekers in Postojna.

      Interior Ministry data shows that this year, police have deprived 75 potential asylum seekers of their liberty, 69 of which were in June alone. The administrative court this year annulled 35 of these measures.

      Meanwhile, based on a request made by right wing politicians in Italy, additional Italian army troops are to be deployed to the border with Slovenia. Some troops were already deployed in May, while the idea of having the army is supported by far right groups on both sides of the border.

      In Slovenia, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs, a member of the right wing SDS party, openly welcomed the idea.

      For now, the struggle of people in Postojna and Slovenian civic society continues. In one of his messages sent to the activists, X. wrote:

      “We are not criminals — we are humans. The difference between us and other people is just the paper — we are people without papers and that does not mean we are not good people.”

      https://kosovotwopointzero.com/en/cries-for-help-from-the-balkan-route