NAN-F-46
Refugees
Athens, June 8, 2017 (dpa/NAN) The UN refugee agency on Thursday voiced concern over “extremely worrying’’ reports that Greece has been forcing back Turkish nationals intending to seek asylum without reviewing their pleas for shelter.
“Such allegations have been recorded before, and it is of vital importance that the Greek authorities investigate them thoroughly.
“If confirmed, this is extremely worrisome
“The right to seek and enjoy asylum is a fundamental human right,” UNHCR representative, Philippe Leclerc said.
The initial allegation of forced returns was made earlier in the week by an Athens-based humanitarian organisation, the Hellenic League for Human Rights (HLHR).
It said that at least one of the nine people pushed back in spite of a plea for protection from persecution in Turkey was in prison in his country.
“In one case, an entire family was forced to return,’’ HLHR said.
It warned that refusing an asylum procedure to people seeking protection violates international law.
However, the Greek Government Spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos denied the allegations, saying “Greece is not performing push-backs.’’
Greece was the main entry point for more than one million refugees during the peak of the 2015 to 2016 migration crisis.
Very few of the people arriving from Turkey across the Aegean asked for shelter in the country; nearly all wanted to continue on to wealthier EU countries.
However, more than 60,000 remained stranded in Greece after countries further along the Balkan route sealed their borders to refugees and migrants in March 2016. (dpa/NAN)
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Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Ese E. Ekama