European Court Finds Greece Guilty of Systematic Pushbacks of Asylum Seekers

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The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that Greece systematically conducted illegal pushbacks of asylum seekers, ordering the country to compensate a woman who was forcibly expelled to Turkey despite her claims for protection. This landmark decision marks the first public condemnation by the ECHR regarding Greece's long-denied policies of deporting asylum seekers from the Evros region to Turkey.

The court awarded the complainant, known only by her initials ARE, €20,000 in damages, citing strong evidence of a systematic practice of pushbacks by Greek authorities. The incident involved the woman, who fled political persecution as a member of the Gulen movement, being forcibly detained and deported under the cover of darkness in May 2019.

The ruling has been hailed by human rights activists and legal representatives, who view it as a vindication for numerous victims of similar practices at the Greek-Turkish border. Marina Papamina from the Greek Council for Refugees described the judgment as a critical acknowledgment of the illegal pushback policy.

In response, the Greek government, under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, reiterated its commitment to a "strict but fair" migration policy, despite persistent allegations of human rights violations. The ruling is expected to set a legal precedent, influencing numerous pending cases involving Greece's treatment of asylum seekers.

As global conflicts and climate change continue to drive migration, advocates assert that this decision sends a strong message against unlawful border practices and will bolster efforts to hold Greece accountable.

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