Using methods from a bygone era and looking beyond the government’s constant anti-refugee propaganda, it seems that the executive state Charge now—except for the Fire Department– and the Coast Guard with responsibilities censorship. Minors and adults arrived Kurds refugees in islet in Kythera after their boat broke down last Friday. The Coast Guard, despite appeals, initially «ignored» them and, aside from half-hearted denials later on, asked local media outlets to take down the revealing videos containing the footage they had recorded.
It is, at the very least, a disgrace that port authorities are forced to use such methods, regardless of any orders from above. For its part, the code of silence among the major media outlets has also swept this story under the rug, just as it has swept under the rug all reports of violence against refugees.
And even if this «disappearance» was ultimately averted for the time being, the same cannot be said for the many «disappearances» resulting from the use of dangerous and internationally prohibited methods of deterrence and refoulement. Violent pushbacks that put lives at risk are being documented with increasing frequency in the Mitsotakis government’s record by Greek and international media outlets and organizations.
The prime minister himself, moreover, adopting far-right rhetoric, had no qualms about referring to Afghan war refugees as «immigrants» while his minister, despite the costly contracts awarded to cronies for the construction of refugee camps, has still not established the independent public oversight body for Frontex. Disregarding the commitments made to the European Commission, which had urgently requested this, Mr. Mitarakis is stalling at a time when European funding for refugee assistance is already at risk, since it is explicitly stated that the Commission is closely monitoring member states for potential human rights violations, violent deterrence, and refoulement.
The dangerous game being played by Greek and Turkish authorities with their armed vessels around unmanned boats filled with desperate people, continues on a daily basis despite empty assurances of respect for the UN Refugee Convention.
It is by no means a coincidence that, in the wake of the Afghan issue, the minister added, after the conclusion of the consultation on the controversial deportation bill, a shameful provision that has sparked a storm of reactions. From now on, rescues by members of recognized NGOs will be prohibited unless they are under the full control of the Coast Guard—whatever that may mean for the men, women, and children who seek help from the Mitsotakis government.
Opinion piece from the Journal of Editors (print edition, August 30)
