BBC report claims migrants used in alleged pushbacks at Greece–Turkiye border

A BBC investigation has alleged that Greek police have recruited masked migrants to forcibly push other migrants back across the land border with Turkiye, claims which Athens has not responded to in detail.

The report says internal police documents and multiple testimonies suggest that migrants were used as part of informal networks operating along the Evros (Meriç) border region, an area that has been at the centre of repeated allegations of “pushbacks” in recent years.

According to the BBC, individuals recruited from countries including Pakistan, Syria and Afghanistan were allegedly used in operations involving the forced return of migrants, sometimes in exchange for cash, mobile phones and travel documents.

The investigation, carried out in cooperation with the Consolidated Rescue Group, also includes accounts from migrants and alleged former participants describing violence, beatings and degrading treatment, as well as claims of theft and sexual abuse. The BBC says it reviewed video material, leaked documents and testimony, though some material could not be independently verified.

The Greek government denies the allegations

The Greek government has repeatedly denied allegations of illegal pushbacks and has previously said it is protecting the EU’s external borders. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has in the past said he was not aware of claims involving the use of migrant “mercenaries” at the border.

The report also references earlier findings by EU border monitoring bodies and rights organizations, which have documented alleged incidents of forced returns in the Evros (Meriç) region. Greek authorities and the EU border agency Frontex have in the past rejected or disputed some of these conclusions.

Violence, beating and threats

The BBC investigation further cites testimonies from migrants claiming they were subjected to violence before being pushed back to Turkiye, including beatings and threats, while others described being transported in groups and abandoned at or near the border.

It also reports that some individuals allegedly involved in such operations were themselves migrants recruited under coercive or unclear circumstances, though these claims remain contested.

Greek authorities have not issued a detailed response to the specific allegations contained in the BBC report at the time of publication.

Source:efsyn.gr