AYS News Digest 26/6/23: Hellenic Coast Guard beat up, shoot at, handcuff, and blindfold individuals attempting to seek asylum in Greece
Shipwrecks, demonstrations, and EU economic aid all expose the worsening conditions and mistreatment of forcibly displaced people in Tunisia//Another avoidable shipwreck off the coast of Lampedusa has resulted in the deaths of 37 people//Sharp increase in investigations against immigration custody staff in the UK…
FEATURE: Extreme violence at the hands of the Hellenic Coast Guard
AYS have posted so many times about pushbacks, violence, neglect, discrimination, racism by the Hellenic Coast Guard towards forcibly displaced individuals. Since the devastating shipwreck on 14th June 2023, there have been multiple pieces of footage and more examples of extreme violence towards refugees and asylum seekers.
Video footage of 14 people, handcuffed, with tape over their eyes, in the back of a van
According to the Aegean Boat Report, this group had also been beaten prior to being put in the van. Aegean Boat Report have since lost contact with the group and believe they have been sent back to Turkey.
Disturbing footage of the Greek Coast Guard hitting, and even shooting at a boat with asylum seekers in an attempt to push them back to Turkey
On 26/6/23, a group of 39 people, mainly Palestinians, arrived on Pserimos after being threatened and chased by the Greek Coast Guard.
The Aegean Boat Report has confirmed the group have made it onto the island of Pserimos and want to be taken to the refugee camp on Kos in order to start the process of claiming asylum. However, they have reported to the Aegean Boat Report that they are scared the Coast Guard will send them back to Turkey.
A positive result at the European Court of Justice, exposing the inhumane treatment of individuals on Lesvos
The ECJ has ruled in favour of and awarded damages to 67 individuals. The group filed a case about their inhumane treatment between 2017 and 2018 in a refugee camp, Moria, on Lesvos.
“Negligence and behavior that devalues human life and trivializes it should not only not be tolerated in a modern state of law, but should have legal and other consequences.” — Vassilis Cheirdaris, Criminologist and Human RIghts Expert
The group provided evidence of the squalid conditions. They were put in an outdoor cage in Moria, measuring 40 square metres. They were given a sandwich and a bottle of water per day. They slept on the floor without a blanket or a mattress. In the summer, they were moved to tents which did nothing to protect them — the rain would make the ground muddy, and leaking toilets would mix with the mud on the ground. They further stated they only had running water for 40 minutes a day.
ECJ rules in favor of 67 ill-treated migrants — InfoMigrants
TUNISIA
Shipwrecks, demonstrations, and EU economic aid all expose the worsening conditions in Tunisia
Many of the more than 600 migrants who have died or gone missing in the central Mediterranean since the beginning of this year had set sail from the Tunisian coast, according to data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Since the end of 2022, Tunisia has emerged as the leading North African country for people heading to Italy on irregular routes. Tunisia has even outpaced Libya as a main point-of-departure for crossing the central Mediterranean into Europe. — InfoMigrants
The country’s economic conditions have been in turmoil for over a decade. The EU response? Offer 900 million euros, an additional 150 million euros with immediate effect, and 105 million euros for migration management. Several human rights organisations have criticised the EU for their response, claiming it is a “veiled attempt at more restrictive border policies”.
‘Refugees in Tunisia’ have been posting about the recent anti-immigration demonstration that took place in Sfax.
Anti-immigrant sentiments are widespread, many believing in the increase in Sub-Saharan Africans in the country and the weakening the Arab Islamic identity. The Tunisian President, Kais Saied, has been vocal about his anti-immigrant views which has resulted in a rise in racism, discrimination and violence among the general public towards forcibly displaced individuals.
Germany deported 11 men to Tunisia
These men were rejected asylum seekers, and supposedly six of them were accused of criminal offences. Germany has deemed Tunisia a safe country to send asylum seekers back to.
Many human rights organisations have stated that Tunisia should not be considered a safe country to which to send asylum seekers. Back in April, 70 organisations signed a statement demanding that the EU stop all cooperation with Tunisia regarding migration control. In addition, the statement included stopping financial and technical support to the Tunisian coast guard.
SEA/SAR
Another avoidable shipwreck off the coast of Lampedusa has resulted in the deaths of 37 people
This is another avoidable shipwreck! Included in that group were eight women and a baby.
ITALY
The Piantedosi decree prohibits rescue organizations from rescuing more people in distress at sea after assigning a port of safety.
Alarm Phone provides an example as to why this decree is flawed, illogical, and prevents life-saving support from reaching those in need in the Mediterranean. The Sea Eye took the initiative of supporting more individuals at sea after being sent a designated port they must reach. The result is that the Sea Eye 4 has to be detained in Ortona for 20 days and the organisation will have to pay a hefty fine.
The Italian punitive measures against Sea-Eye are state injustice! — Alarm Phone | Alarm Phone
UK
Sharp increase in investigations against immigration custody staff
The Home Office outsource the management of detention centres and deportation flights to private companies, such as, Serco, G4S, and Mitie. There has been an increase in the number of investigations into mistreatment of individuals at the hands of custody officers.
…102 staff were suspended between January 2020 and mid-February 2023 — including 49 last year and seven in the first six weeks of 2023.
Almost half of the suspended staff then had their Home Office certification revoked (26) or resigned while under investigation (22).
Another 44 were reinstated — some on appeal and condition of being demoted — while eight were awaiting an outcome as of February this year.
Mitie, a security company hired by the Home Office to escort people to their deportation flights and provide security in detention centres, had 14 of their staff suspended last year. Racist text messages had been sent on a Whatsapp group between members of staff about people in the detention centre. Another incident saw an officer repeatedly knee an individual in the face, and a further situation included an officer kicking a 14-year-old, repeatedly in an “attempt” to stop the child from self-harming.
You can read more here: Horrific levels of violence and racism among immigration staff as suspensions double — Mirror Online
FURTHER READING:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina established full Cooperation with Europol — Sarajevo Times
- There are more refugees today than at any point in history since WWII. A new approach aims to turn them into the next wave of entrepreneurs (yahoo.com)
- EU Migration Apartheid Keeps People Smugglers in Business (foreignpolicy.com)
- ‘We are the true voice of the people’: Sudan’s civilian resistance is still alive | New Internationalist
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