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On 30th March 2021, the Border Violence Monitoring Network (BVMN) co-signed a letter to Commissioner Johansson alongside several other organisations regarding independent border monitoring mechanisms.

The letter put forward a firm stance on border monitoring, stating that the implementation of these mechanisms, particularly in the case of Croatia, should be fully compliant with fundamental rights, and that they should be “independent, meaningful and effective” to ensure violations at borders are fully investigated. Research by the The Guardian and MEPs has found systemic failings in the case of Croatia’s border monitoring mechanism, with deep questions marks over the lack of implementation, impartiality and mispent funds. The joint letter addressed the Croatian context as a key point in the development of EU-wide monitoring mechanisms, and stressed that any national agreement reached in Croatia that fell short of required standards would “set a bad precedent”.

In  a recent policy analysis, BVMN looked in depth at the New Pact on Migration and Asylum in conjunction with Croatia’s existing monitoring apparatus, finding it stood as a symbol of bad practice. Moreover, within the context of succesive reports on the use of torture during pushbacks from Croatian territory, which in a recent publication by BVMN was demonstrated to have occured in 87% of recorded case in 2020, this lack of accountability is deeply concerning. The joint letter therefore urges for a robust and consistent set of standards to be ensured for national mechanisms, and that the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency is enabled to issue guidance for the implementation of border monitoring.

Continue reading “Joint Letter on Croatia’s Border Monitoring Mechanism”

On 28th April, the Greek Ombudsman released an interim report on pushbacks of people-on-the-move from Greece to Turkey at the land border, in the area of the Evros river. This report is an update on the Ombudsman’s own-initiative investigation spread over a period of 3.5 years into allegations of pushbacks which was launched on 9 June 2017. Whilst the investigation continues, this interim report presents key aspects of the practices that have been reported, records how allegations have been responded to, and makes proposals for change.

In the written response published below, BVMN have called attention to some of the inconsistencies and shortcomings of the report, and put forward some key reccomendations for a full and proper investigation into pushback violations in the Evros region. One of the core contentions raised in BVMN’s letter relates to the assertion by the Ombudsperson that “traffickers and unidentified individuals” are responsible for pushbacks, and that Greek authorities tolerate, or at best play a facilitation role. While BVMN welcomes the recognition that pushbacks are occuring, the report grossly misrepresents the role of Greek authorities, who are the primary instigators of illegal removals to Turkey. Josoor, Mobile Info team and other anonymous members of BVMN have recorded over 6000 people pushed back from Greece to Turkey since 2019 – clearly implicating Greek authorities at the centre of these practices.

Download Response Here

Continue reading “Response to Greek Ombudsman’s Interim Report on Pushbacks to Turkey”