The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, conducted a visit Greece from 3 to 7 February 2025, during which he focussed on the protection of human rights in the context of border control operations and on the human rights of Roma. He expresses his gratitude to the Greek authorities for their cooperation and for the open discussions.
The Commissioner acknowledges the challenges posed by arrivals of asylum-seeking and migrant people, in view of Greece’s geographical location and the persistently insufficient levels of European solidarity. Greece also faces an evolving context, with new routes to Crete and Rhodes emerging. Against this background, the Commissioner welcomes the Greek authorities’ cautious approach regarding the status of Syrian asylum seekers (see the Commissioner’s statement of 10 December 2024).
During his visit, the Commissioner focused on the tragic Pylos shipwreck of June 2023, in which an estimated 750 people died. He met with the Greek Ombudsman, who had just completed the report on his inquiry into actions and omissions of members of the Greek Coast Guard during the handling of the incident on 13 and 14 June 2023, as well as with survivors, lawyers and NGOs supporting them. The Commissioner, who liaises closely with the Ombudsman, notes his important findings and encourages the authorities to take resolute action to ensure appropriate criminal and disciplinary accountability.
Several interlocutors of the Commissioner drew his attention to reports of continued summary returns, often accompanied by violence, at both land and sea borders. In the light of the recent findings of the European Court of Human Rights regarding strong indications of the existence of a systematic practice of “pushbacks” of third-country nationals by the Greek authorities, the Commissioner urges Greece to adopt a zero-tolerance approach and hold those responsible accountable.
The Commissioner also highlights the importance of independent human rights monitoring in the context of border control operations and encourages the authorities to ensure that new mechanisms set up under the EU Pact on Asylum and Migration are effective. He recommends that they follow the guidance by the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture, and the Fundamental Rights Agency of the European Union.
Noting the sharp increase in arrivals on Rhodes and Crete, as well as the overcrowding in several existing facilities on other islands, the Commissioner calls for adequate reception facilities, in line with international standards, and for rapid transfers, especially of unaccompanied minors, from the islands to the mainland.
The Commissioner also addressed issues concerning the human rights of Roma. Building on a mission he conducted in June 2024 in Thessaloniki, the Commissioner paid particular attention to issues of adequate housing and of police violence. The Commissioner welcomes the adoption of a comprehensive National Strategy and Action Plan for the Social Inclusion of Roma, and the evident commitment to its implementation as well as the interministerial coordination efforts led by the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family Affairs. The Commissioner nevertheless notes the need to overcome hurdles to local implementation of the strategy and the need to strengthen the participation of Roma members of society in the design, implementation and monitoring of the relevant measures.
While visiting a settlement in Halandri, the Commissioner observed that, despite the efforts deployed by its inhabitants and the municipality, housing conditions remain dire and the Roma communities living there face persistent discrimination in their daily lives. As he stated in a video recorded during his visit to Halandri, “all of us, right across Europe, have got to wake up to the situation in which Roma find themselves. We have to work with them to honour and respect their human rights.”
More generally, the Commissioner’s attention was drawn to the worsening environment for legal professionals and civil society organisations supporting vulnerable people, as well as for investigative journalists. He recalls that it is essential for strong rule of law-based states that the role and work of civil society and media be cherished and supported. He also observes that the prosecutorial services should ensure that effective investigations are carried out in compliance with the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights.
The Commissioner’s observations are forthcoming.
During his visit to Greece, the Commissioner met with the Minister of Migration and Asylum, Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Christos Stylianides, the Minister of Social Cohesion and Family Affairs, Sofía Zaharáki, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexandra Papadopoulou, the Greek delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the General Prosecutor of the Supreme Court, Georgia Adeilin, the Greek Ombudsman, Andreas Pottakis, the National Commission for Human Rights, and the Deputy Mayor of Halandri, Kostas Efthimiou. He also met with representatives of UNHCR, the European Commission, and Frontex, as well as with experts, legal professionals, civil society organisations, victims of human rights violations committed at the borders., The Commissioner also engaged with members of the Roma community of Halandri.
The Commissioner met online with the Minister of Citizen Protection, Michális Chryssohoïdis on 10 February.