“I urge members of the Greek parliament to reject an amendment providing for the suspension of the registration of asylum applications by persons arriving by boat from North Africa, as well as for their forcible return, without registration, to their country of origin or provenance,” today said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, commenting on a legal amendment tabled last night by the Greek government.
“This proposal would legalise returning people to face a risk of torture and other serious violations, in breach of obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, the 1951 Refugee Convention, as well as other instruments, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
I am also aware of additional measures announced in parliament by Prime Minister Mitsotakis yesterday, including the arrest and detention of all those concerned by this amendment which, if implemented, would raise further issues of compliance with international human rights law,” the Commissioner added.
With these proposals, the Greek authorities aim to address the situation on the Greek islands of Crete and Gavdos, in view of an increase in irregular arrivals on the two islands in 2025.
“I acknowledge that the increasing arrivals on Gavdos and Crete over the last six months have created new challenges for the Greek authorities. However, as I stressed during my visit to Greece last February, the humanitarian situation would be manageable if authorities had addressed the lack of reception capacity in a timely manner. In any case, all measures taken to address these challenges should respect the applicable international legal instruments. In other words, the authorities must ensure that the human rights of the people concerned are respected, their protection needs are individually and effectively assessed, and that those who qualify for international protection are given access to meaningful protection measures.”