Reporting migrants <\/b>with the help of… mercenaries has been “seen” by BBC journalists,<\/b> citing allegations by the well-known and unexceptional<\/b>NGOs<\/b>.<\/p>\n
The… ghost of “little Maria” is awakened in Evros by the BBC “report” on the migrants who were allegedly repelled by mercenaries who, according to the same reports, appear to have been selected and guided by Greek officers<\/b>. The case is not just similar, <\/b>but almost identical to the case which was amply demonstrated to be nothing but fake news and forced many international media outlets to apologise.<\/b><\/p>\n
Written by Ersi Papadakis<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
And now, the BBC’s “report” was initiated after complaints from various NGOs that deal with immigration issues on a professional basis and speak of mistreatment and even abuse of migrants by the Greek authorities, humiliating physical searches, beatings, robberies and even physical attacks. <\/p>\n
The BBC journalists even went so far as to ask Kyriakos Mitsotakis for an explanation,<\/b>with the prime minister stating, however, that he has not taken note of the specific allegations. <\/p>\n
Reminder that the migrant refoulements that are <\/b>the subject of the NGO complaints and the BBC’s “reportage” is an illegal practice under international law<\/b>. In the past, similar practices have been denounced in the Aegean by Turkey through the Anadolu Agency and other media, essentially accusing the Greek Coast Guard in order to avoid its own responsibilities for the management of migrant flows from the Turkish coast to the Greek islands.<\/p>\nAnd the slave traders?<\/b><\/h3>\n
These reports for a long time were repeated, especially during the period when Athens-Ankara relations were tense. Some have also attempted in Greece to link the recent shipwreck in Chios, where at least 15 migrants lost their lives,<\/b> to the pushbacks and pushbacks,but they are deliberately and obviously silencing the responsibility of the slave traders for this situation.<\/p>\n
As for the BBC’s “reportage” on Evros, the British network’s reporters note that the footage of the allegations has not been confirmed, but there is “credible testimony” to corroborate the NGOs’ complaints. They also speak of “synthesis of evidence” arising from migrants’ claims, NGOs, vague documents<\/b> or even the mercenaries the Greek government is reportedly using to carry out repatriations – this time on land rather than the Aegean Sea<\/b>. <\/b><\/p>\n
There is also the invocation of a Frontex investigation dating back to 2023 that claims 10 to 20 foreigners acted under the orders of Greek police and border guard officers. However, Frontex has officially responded that it does not tolerate violations and contributes to the completely legal management of the borders.<\/p>\n
Sources at the Ministry of Citizen Protection also attempt to put things in order, stating that the specific complaints and the incidents referred to in them concern a short period in the summer of 2023<\/b> between the two elections – when the country had a caretaker government. <\/p>\n
It is also pointed out by the same sources that respective reports and publications are primarily based on testimonies and secondary evidence, which cannot be corroborated and their assessment is often based on the convergence of allegations rather than evidence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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