UN: Greece Must Take Immediate Action to End Violence Against Refugees

* Photo: İslam Yakut / AA

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United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants Felipe González Morales has released a written statement and urged the government of Greece to take immediate action to end the violence against refugees at its border with Turkey.

As reported by the official UN news website, "I am very concerned about the reported pushbacks of asylum seekers and migrants, which constitutes a violation of the prohibition of collective expulsions and the principle of non-refoulement," González Morales has noted.

He has also expressed "alarm at the reports of assaults and violence against asylum seekers by Greek security officers and unidentified armed men aiming to push them back to the Turkish side of the border."

Raising concerns about the increasing hostility and violence against humanitarian workers, human rights defenders and journalists working at the border as well, Morales has indicated:

"Greece has the responsibility to ensure that migrants and those assisting them are protected from threats and attacks. The authorities should condemn promptly and ensure accountability for any such acts."

UN Rapporteur slams PM of Greece

Greece decided on March 1, 2020 to suspend access to asylum application for 30 days for "individuals who have crossed the border irregularly." These individuals would be returned to the country they arrived from or to their country or origin without registration or individual assessment.

Morales has also slammed Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who announced the decision of the government to the public.

"Greece should immediately reverse its decision on the suspension of asylum application which has no legal basis in international human rights law", Morales has noted and continued as follows:

"The right to individual assessment is the cornerstone of human rights and refugee protection. It cannot be put on hold.

"Returning people without due process will inevitably result in cases of refoulement to situations where they may face the risk of death, torture, ill-treatment, persecution or other irreparable harm."

The UN has announced that Morales contacted the government of Greece about his concerns regarding the situation of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees at Turkey-Greece border. Relevant institutions of the European Union (EU) and government of Turkey were also notified.

What does the international law say?

According to the international law as well as iagreements and conventions on refugees, every individual who does not feel safe and has fled from war or out of similar other fears have the right to seek asylum from another country.

The Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights also says, "Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution."

As per the "Common European Asylum System", which shapes the migration policy of the EU and is still being drafted, "Asylum is granted to people fleeing persecution or serious harm in their own country and therefore in need of international protection." (TP/SD)