AYS News Digest 25/1/23: Greek Interior Minister accused of intimidation
Greek Pushback Recording Mechanism First Report // Resources library UK-Fr // Libyan Coast Guard active // New technologies being tested on asylum seekers at EU border
FEATURE
Greek Interior Minister accused of intimidation
The Alternative Intervention of Athens Lawyers (EPDA) group has released a bold statement critical of Greek Interior Minister Notis Mitarakis, after lawyers and organisations were photographed. The alleged intimidation is related to a case against the government involving 38 people being pushed back.
38 The case in question involves a group of 38 people who were trapped on an islet in the Evros region for weeks in the summer of 2022. During the ordeal, when neither Greece nor Turkey came to the group’s rescue, a five-year-old girl is reported to have died. Following the incident, the German newspaper Der Spiegel ran a series of articles, which were later removed over concerns that not all the information was correct.
The testimony of one of the group was recently released, which contradicted the testimony of others — namely the death of the child. Greek ministers clung to this fact, deflecting from the real issue. EPDA’s statement asserts several claims, that Greek authorities use people on the move to carry out tasks relating to pushbacks in exchange for papers, and that illegal refoulement takes place with the knowledge and participation of the authorities. The call for an end to the harassment of lawyers and human rights defenders and for the end of the criminalisation of refugees.
Meanwhile, in the same region, a group remains stuck on an islet in the Evros River and are in need of medical assistance. Authorities are clearly aware of the group, since a drone has reportedly flown over, and several people are in need of medical assistance.
GREECE
Pushback Recording Mechanism First Report
The first report from the newly formed Recording Mechanism of Incidents of Informal Forced Returns has been presented in Greece. The report gives official evidence of 50 “informal forced returns” (pushbacks) with testimonies from 58 sources.
The Recording Mechanism was founded after the Greek National Commission for Human Rights (GNHCR) ruled that it was necessary in September 2021 due both to a lack of such a mechanism, and to the need to coordinate existing groups who have been collecting testimonies and other evidence independently. UNHCR Greece also contributes.
“The Recording Mechanism aims to monitor, record and report incidents of informal forced returns of third country nationals from Greece to other countries, through personal interviews with the alleged victims and through a common, transparent, and scientific recording methodology. It seeks to promote and consolidate respect of the principle of non-refoulement as well as to safeguard guarantees and compliance with legal procedures. Moreover, the aim of the Recording Mechanism is to boost accountability for reported human rights violations alleged to have occurred during informal forced returns of third country nationals from Greece to other countries.”
50 The interim report details the 50 cases mentioned, as well as 17 pending court cases. GNHCR has submitted written interventions in each of these cases. The report concludes without the condemnation of the authorities that one might expect, but it does conclude that pushbacks do officially happen — something that until more recently has always been denied by authorities. The report is available here.
Two men who hoped to find a better life in Europe were each convicted of smuggling when they picked up people in a car in the Evros region. Both were convicted, facing sentences of 11 years and 23 years. The appeal was postponed from December 2021 for “administrative reasons” but is now due to take place on 26th January.
Movement on the Ground, an organisation formerly helping with basic needs in the camp in Lesvos, has been forced to leave. Movement on the Ground never had official permission to operate but always maintained a good relationship with camp authorities and residents. The speed and reasons for their removal remain unexplained.
UK and FRANCE
Resources library
France UK Border Research has released a new library of resources. The collection of articles, essays, governmental and legal documents covers a huge range of topics, from Humanitarian Work to Women. The library can also be searched by geographical area and type of sources. An interesting project that could be very useful for researchers and journalists.
SEA and SAR
Rescue ship Ocean Viking reported encountering the so-called Libyan Coast Guard during a rescue. The “dangerous manoeuvres” of the Libyan vessel reportedly posed a risk to both crew and those being rescued.
The actions of the LCG were also reported by Sea Watch, whose plane spotted three vessels in distress, with two of them intercepted by LCG, with the third rescued by MSF. The MSF rescue ship is currently facing a long journey, as Italy failed to assign it a safe port near to its current location.
The efforts to save lives in the Mediterranean will soon be supported by Sea Eye 4, who announced successful recruitment and funding efforts.
EU
New technologies being tested on asylum seekers
A new report has shown that, despite AI technologies being branded as ‘high risk’ by the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, the technologies are already being tested on people at the EU’s borders.
The report by Algorithmic Fairness for Asylum Seekers and Refugees (AFAR) reveals how tools for forecasting, risk assessment and triaging as well as speech-recognition, mobile phone data extraction and document verification are being used across Europe.
Lead researcher Dr Derya Ozkul pointed out that not all new technologies are necessarily bad news for people on the move, but very few have been developed with this in mind. She makes the point that:
“Many technologies have been introduced in the immigration and asylum area without really understanding their impact. Who benefits from them, who has access to their details, and who is excluded remain key questions.” Dr Derya Ozkul
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