Report documents alleged pushbacks of at least 359 people from Greece

The term ‘informal forced return’ covers both the alleged pushbacks of asylum seekers and refugees and any other forced removal of third-country nationals from Greek territory carried out irregularly and summarily, without the required legal procedures.

Testimonies collected by the Recording Mechanism indicate that both uniformed officers and people in civilian clothing participated in the alleged operations. In some accounts concerning incidents in Evros, third-country nationals who spoke the languages of the alleged victims were reportedly involved in removing people from Greek territory, acting in co-operation with or under the orders of uniformed personnel.

The report also includes testimony from refugees who said they were subjected to punitive violence during pushbacks in Evros.

The commission defines an informal forced return as ‘the informal expulsion, removal, “refoulement” or return through summary procedures, outside the legal framework, of third-country nationals, including asylum seekers and holders of legal residence permits in Greece, from Greek territory, without an individual examination of international protection needs or other needs and without the possibility of recourse to legal remedies’.

The 2025 annual report is based on 23 personal testimonies concerning 21 alleged incidents of unlawful forced returns between January 2023 and December 2025. The incidents involved an estimated minimum of 359 people, including at least 94 women, 90 children and 42 people with specific vulnerabilities.

Eleven of the reported incidents took place in the Evros region. They involved an estimated minimum of 62 people, including at least 21 women and 34 children. According to the testimonies, 11 of those identified had specific vulnerabilities, including medical conditions, disabilities or advanced age.

A further ten incidents took place at sea and involved an estimated minimum of 310 people. At least 83 were women and 64 were children. The testimonies also identified 32 people with specific vulnerabilities, including medical conditions, disabilities or advanced age.

Regarding the legal status of the alleged victims, 18 of the 19 people questioned on the issue said they had never undergone any official registration or identification procedure by the Greek authorities, despite having been located on Greek territory.

The report describes this as a serious indication that Greece failed to meet its obligations under national, EU and international law, particularly the guarantees arising from the right of access to the asylum procedure.

The commission said the testimonies continued to describe acts linked to extremely serious violations of the principle of non-refoulement, as established by the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.

The alleged acts may also constitute violations of the prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment, the right to liberty, the right to life, the right to asylum and the prohibition of collective expulsions under the European Convention on Human Rights and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. According to the report, they may also constitute criminal offences under Greek law.

The commission stressed that the alleged practices were often directed against people who were clearly vulnerable, including those with serious illnesses or disabilities, pregnant women, older people and children.

The testimonies indicate that both uniformed personnel and people in civilian clothing participated in the alleged operations. In some accounts of incidents in Evros, third-country nationals who spoke the languages of the alleged victims reportedly took part in the removal process, acting in co-operation with or under the orders of uniformed personnel.

The report describes a complex operational picture in Evros, involving both uniformed and plainclothes personnel. Those in civilian clothing reportedly acted either independently or in mixed groups alongside uniformed officers. The testimonies broadly indicate that they operated in co-ordination with or under the direction of the authorities.

At sea, by contrast, the alleged operations appeared more concentrated and institutionally structured. Testimonies described an almost exclusive presence of uniformed personnel bearing the characteristics of members of the Hellenic Coast Guard, with very limited involvement by people in civilian clothing.

The commission said the number of incidents and the alleged methods used by the authorities indicated that these were not isolated cases, ‘but practices of organised and systematic violation of fundamental rights and the principle of non-refoulement’.

The report makes a series of recommendations to the competent Greek authorities. These include full compliance with the principle of non-refoulement, guaranteed access to asylum and international protection, effective investigations into allegations of unlawful forced returns and other serious human rights violations at the borders, stronger accountability and improved access to justice for victims.

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