27 April 2021
Journalist Nikolaj Nielsen argues that although there is clear evidence that the Greek authorities are involved in numerous human rights violations at the country's borders, Frontex will not halt its support to the state. To do so would require acknowledging that illegal pushbacks are taking place - something the Greek authorities have repeatedly denied, in the face of multiple well-documented instances of such acts - and in any case, Greece has political backing from the highest levels. As Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said during a visit to the country last year, Greece is the "shield" of the EU, a point on which she was supported by the presidents of the Council and the Parliament.
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Source: EUobserver, 27 April 2021:
"Why Frontex won't leave Greece, like it left Hungary
Earlier this year, the EU law-enforcement agency Frontex pulled out of Hungary, over violations committed against asylum seekers.
Frontex had, however, sat on the issue for five years, despite the evidence.
The Warsaw-based agency finally left after EU judges in December told Hungary to stop pushing asylum seekers back into Serbia.
Budapest ignored the ruling - and still does - triggering Frontex to withdraw, at the risk of otherwise being complicit to a crime.
Now calls are being made for Frontex to do the same in Greece, amid credible accusations of illegal pushbacks since March last year.
But the prospect of Frontex leaving Greece anytime soon appears unlikely - as that would mean acknowledging such illegal pushbacks are taking place.
This is something Frontex has so far refused to do, despite evidence produced by the media, NGOs, and international organisations.
A mixture of politics, legal questions, a lack of accountability, an EU migrant return deal, plus maritime disputes with Turkey, further complicate the picture."
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