Greece Accused of Using Migrant 'Mercenaries' for Violent Border Pushbacks

Greek police have been accused of recruiting migrants to violently push other migrants back across the country's land border with Turkey, according to evidence gathered by the BBC.

Internal police documents describe how the recruitment of so-called mercenaries was ordered and overseen by senior officers. Witnesses report migrants being stripped, robbed, beaten, and even sexually assaulted by these groups.

The Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, told the BBC he was 'totally unaware' of allegations about the use of migrants for pushbacks. However, the country's authorities have not responded to detailed requests for comment.

Allegations of Brutality

Pushbacks, or forcing migrants and asylum seekers back across borders without due process, are generally considered illegal under international law. Claims that they were being carried out in Greece by foreign masked men were first reported in 2022.

A border guard told a disciplinary hearing that mercenaries had been raping female migrants. Two migrants and an ex-mercenary reported seeing extreme violence by both mercenaries and Greek police, including people being beaten until they passed out.

A migrant claimed a masked man took off her daughter's diaper in the hunt for valuables. Greece has seen over a million migrant arrivals since 2015, with many crossing the Evros River into a heavily militarized restricted zone.

Recruitment of Mercenaries

The mercenaries are themselves migrants, recruited from countries including Pakistan, Syria, and Afghanistan. They can be rewarded with cash and mobiles looted from other migrants, as well as papers that allow passage through Greece.

A police source in the region said mercenaries have been used to push back hundreds of people a week. The BBC has seen footage of migrants being ambushed by masked men and subjected to physical and verbal abuse.

A report by the Fundamental Rights Office found that migrants were forcibly transported back to Turkey, in violation of EU human rights law. The Greek authorities have denied any migrants from this group were found in the area on that day.

Response from Greek Authorities

The Greek prime minister said the country was protecting its borders and that European leaders were clear they would not repeat past 'mistakes' by allowing in a 'massive influx' of migrants and refugees.

Frontex, the EU border agency, has rejected any suggestion it turns a blind eye to rights violations, saying it helps ensure borders are managed lawfully, while supporting countries under strain.

A lawyer has lodged a case at the European Court of Human Rights on behalf of an Afghan woman who alleges she was raped by a masked man prior to a pushback in 2023.

Personal Accounts

Syrian migrants Amal and Ahmad claim to have been forced back to Turkey, across the River Evros. Amal's daughter was visibly traumatized after the experience, and Ahmad says he was beaten to the point of unconsciousness by Greek police.

Marwan, a Moroccan, claims he was given no real choice but to accept the role of a mercenary in 2020 and says he felt like a captive. He spent about 10 weeks working at the border, ferrying people back to Turkey and burning migrant belongings.

Marwan says the way migrants were treated left him 'completely destroyed'. He believes he was based around Soufli, a municipality in central Evros, and says he witnessed frequent violence at the hands of both Greek officers and mercenaries.