ATHENS, Greece — Greece’s outgoing prime minister says he has ordered a probe right into a report that authorities illegally deported a bunch of migrants who had reached an japanese Aegean island from Turkey, allegedly leaving them on a raft at sea for Turkish authorities to select up.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis – who will likely be changed Thursday by caretaker Prime Minister Ioannis Sarmas, a senior decide, forward of elections on June 25 – strongly denied that Greece has an official coverage of returning newly arrived migrants to Turkey. Such unlawful deportations are generally known as pushbacks.
In an interview with CNN late Tuesday, Mitsotakis stated that he takes the alleged incident reported by the New York Times “very seriously.”
“It is already being investigated (by) my government,” he stated. “I have made numerous times the distinction between (the reported pushback), which is a completely unacceptable practice, and between our obligation, which is … intercepting (migrants) on our sea border with Turkey and then asking for the Turkish coast guard to come and pick these people up.”
Greece is a serious entry level for migrants in search of a greater life within the European Union – most coming into illegally from Turkey in unseaworthy boats offered by smuggling gangs. Mitsotakis’ authorities has tightened patrols, considerably decreasing arrivals, however has been repeatedly accused by human rights teams – and Turkish officers – of pushbacks. Athens steadily denies these claims.
Mitsotakis on Tuesday accused the Turkish coast guard of “push-forwards,” claiming that they “aggressively push desperate people on inflatable boats … to sea and (push) them into out territorial waters.”
The New York Times report was based mostly on a video offered by an activist and made public two days earlier than Greece’s parliamentary election on Sunday – which Mitsotakis’ center-right celebration gained with an enormous margin. But he should search a brand new election in simply over a month, as a result of the electoral legislation didn’t give him a governing majority.
The report alleged that in early April migrants had been introduced by van to a Lesbos seashore and brought by speedboat to a coast guard vessel. The coast guard allegedly left the migrants on a raft at sea from which they had been picked up by the Turkish coast guard and brought again to Turkey.
Ylva Johansson, the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, on Tuesday stated the EU has formally requested Athens to be “fully and independently” examine the incident.
“It is necessary that proper follow-up is taken by Greek authorities,” she stated, including that the EU’s govt department “stands ready to take formal steps, as appropriate.”
Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper stated Monday that the EU border company, Frontex, which helps Greece patrol its japanese sea borders, has rights officers who may help assist an impartial investigation.
“So far, we understand that they have not been able to identify this specific incident, but of course they can follow up on any serious incidents reported that have been filed,” she stated.
Greece’s coast guard has not responded to an AP request for touch upon the brand new pushback allegations.
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