Afghan refugees who were forcibly pushed back by the Greek authorities toward Turkey remember the violent incident with horror, saying they had to face the unimaginable at the most unexpected time.
Thirteen Afghan refugees were kicked out of migrant camps on the island of Lesbos on Feb. 18, through a rouse in which Greek officers told the migrants they would be vaccinated for the coronavirus before forcing them on to dinghies and pushing them back to the Turkish coast.
Rescued by the Turkish coast guard, eight of the migrants who were pushed back returned to Turkey's central Karaman province where they have relatives. One of the migrants, Abdul Rauf, who returned to Karaman with his wife and two children, said that their journey to Greece started when they gave all their savings to a man in Turkey's northwestern Çanakkale province who would help them cross to Lesbos.
According to Rauf, in Lesbos, they initially felt like everything was alright and the violent incident caught the family off guard.
"The Greek police officers told us that they will give us a coronavirus vaccine and they took us and out into a boat by force. When we resisted, they beat us. They have taken our documents and money, our everything," he said, and added: "They pushed us through the sea and left us to die."
Stating that even his 8-month pregnant wife was beaten by the Greek police officers, Rauf said they were saved thanks to Turkey.
"We called Turkish coast guard with a phone that we hid in our child's back. They saved us. Turkish police officers also welcomed us. They ordered food and provided us with dry clothes," he said, expressing how grateful he is to be alive. "We are very lucky," he said.
On Sunday, Turkey's Foreign Ministry urged Greek authorities once again to stop pushing asylum seekers back from their borders.
Urging Athens and "all elements involved in pushbacks" to end their violations of international and EU laws, human rights and a 2016 migration deal between the EU and Turkey, Turkey's Foreign Ministry released a statement following two separate incidents on Feb. 23 and Feb. 24 when Greek forces assaulted groups of asylum seekers, took their valuables and left them stranded on an island in the middle of the Maritsa River between the two countries.
On both occasions, Turkish authorities rescued a total of 51 asylum seekers and migrants – including women and children – said the statement, adding that interviews with the migrants revealed that some were foreign nationals who came to Greece via Serbia and Bulgaria and were pushed back to Turkey.
Over 80,000 asylum seekers have been pushed back to Turkey in the last four years, it said, accusing Greece of conducting a "systematic policy" for years, pushing back migrants with the involvement of the EU border agency Frontex.
It also called on the EU to monitor its members' implementation of EU laws and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights "on the basis of human dignity."
Earlier this month, six rights groups condemned what they said was the lack of an effective investigation of reports that Greece is illegally pushing migrants back over the border into Turkey and that incidents "concern practices that even put in danger human lives, in addition to the inhumane treatment of people entitled to international protection." The signatories included the Greek League for Human Rights and the Hellenic Council for Refugees.
Frontex is currently under investigation by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the EU's independent corruption watchdog, over allegations of illegal pushbacks of migrants arriving in Greek waters from Turkey. Members of the European Parliament and activists have called for Frontex head Fabrice Leggeri to resign over the operations, but he has refused to do so, insisting his agency is key to the fight against human trafficking.
Turkey and Greece have been key transit points for migrants aiming to cross into Europe, fleeing war and persecution to start new lives. Turkey has also accused Greece of large-scale pushbacks and summary deportations without access to asylum procedures, which is a violation of international law. It also accuses the EU of turning a blind eye to what it says is a blatant abuse of human rights.
Destker Dolit, 18, is yet another Afghan refugee, who was just landed in Lesbos when the push back took place. Dolit said police officers welcomed them when they arrived on the island and took them to a refugee camp. Then, an officer came and told them they would receive a coronavirus vaccine and brought them to a room, where they had to wait for hours.
"Occasionally, a Greek police officer was coming and checking on us. They made us wait in there for a really long time. The Greek police officers have taken our documents, belongings and money forcibly and never gave them back. Then, they brought us to the coast and tried to get into a boat," he remembers. In Dolit's opinion, the police were more violent toward the women than the man during the process.
After returning to Turkey, Dolit called his relatives, demanding help and they eventually settled in Karaman.
