The Greek Coast Guard confirmed on Friday that they opened fire on a boat of Turkish migrants and killed one man, according to local media sources.
The migrants were allegedly agitating the coast guard by rocking the latter’s boat, which prompted the crew to fire “warning shots” before shooting at the migrants. In their statement, the coast guard stated that the victim, a 39-year-old man, was likely killed by one of the bullets.
Greece has faced ongoing criticism over its treatment of migrants. In April 2023, the Aegean Boat Report registered “57 illegal pushbacks in the Aegean Sea” by the nation’s coast guard. The rights organization found in that month alone, 1,711 people were “denied their right to seek asylum” and that “their human rights [were] violated by the Greek government.”
The Aegean Boat Report added that in the prior three years, Greece pushed back 58,000 migrants from Turkey in 2,167 separate cases. The group stated that the pushbacks were “contrary to international refugee protection agreements, which dictate that people should not be expelled or returned to a country where their life and safety might be in danger due to their race, religion, nationality, or membership in a social or political group.”
The BBC reported in June that “[t]he Greek coastguard caused the death of dozens of migrants in the Mediterranean over a three-year period.” In the report, one migrant anonymously described his experience in the article of being beaten by coast guards. He said, “[Punches] were raining down on my head. It was like they were punching an animal.” Greece then denied accusations of forced returns of migrants made by the BBC.
Rights groups also expressed concerns over the living conditions of refugees once they enter Greece. Last month, Amnesty International released a report criticizing the living conditions of the residents of the Samos Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC), stating that the arbitrary detention of the refugees violated European standards and international law.
