The Minister of Citizen Protection in his letter refers to the shocking statements of the immigrants, who complained that they were victims of robbery, bodily harm and insult to human dignity by personnel of the Turkish military gendarmerie and in the rescue operation by EL.AS. and Frontex.
THE Minister of Citizen Protection, Takis Theodorikakos, with letter of to her European Commissioner for Home Affairs and the 27 counterparts in the EU informs about the tragic incident that took place on October 14 in Evros, where the Greek Police found 92 illegal immigrants naked, on the banks of the river.
The Minister refers to the shocking statements of the immigrants, who complained that they were victims of robbery, physical injuries and insults to human dignity by Turkish military gendarmerie personnel and the rescue operation by the Greek Armed Forces. and Frontex.
At the same time, Mr. Theodorikakos expresses his strong concern about the ongoing and constantly escalating Turkish behavior, pointing out that the latest inhumane incident proves once again that Turkey continues to use immigrants as a tool, to violate the human rights of these people, as and the fundamental principles of humanism and European values.
The full text of the letter from the Minister of Citizen Protection follows
Dear Colleague,
With this letter, I would like to draw your attention to a tragic incident that happened on the Greek-Turkish border, in the area of Evros. On October 14, the day I participated in the Council of European Ministers of the Interior, in Luxembourg, another provocative and inhumane action took place on the part of Turkey. On the morning of October 14, at 09:00, seventy-eight (78) irregular migrants were spotted naked by Border Guard officers a few meters from the Evros riverbed. At 10:30 another fourteen (14) people were also spotted naked in the same place. The Greek police had earlier seen them entering Greece from the Turkish side of the Evros river, in plastic boats. In total, 92 irregular migrants were identified (61 Afghan nationals, 3 Iranian nationals, 4 Moroccan nationals, 3 Bangladeshi nationals and 5 Pakistani nationals, including 6 children).
The migrants, who were rescued by the Greek Police, told the police that they were taken to the Turkish side of the Evros River, in an area opposite the spot where they were found, in Turkish vehicles, before boarding plastic boats to cross to the Greek side. According to their testimonies, they had been victims of robbery – bodily harm – insult to human dignity by personnel of the Turkish authorities, who forced them, through threats and violence, to cross the river.
The Greek Police, immediately after identifying the irregular migrants, informed Frontex and started a rescue operation, in cooperation with Frontex.
Dear colleague, with this letter I would like to inform you of this insulting incident to human life and to reiterate my great concern about the continued Turkish provocative behavior regarding the immigration issue that concerns us all. Unfortunately, the latest inhuman incident proves once again that Turkey continues to exploit migrants, to violate the human rights of these people, as well as the fundamental principles of humanity and European values.
Turkey has not only failed to fully implement its international obligations under the 2016 EU-Turkey Joint Declaration, but continues to use and instrumentalize migrants in violation of international law. The latest cruel and humiliating treatment of these people should be categorically and fully condemned by all.
I would once again like to assure you that the Greek authorities will continue to protect the external borders of the EU in an efficient and timely manner, based on the respect of the country’s international obligations and the commitments deriving from the status of the EU member state and the Schengen member.
Our Authorities are active both on the land and sea borders with Turkey paying the utmost attention to the protection of human life and respecting the persons who are entitled to international protection. This is proven by all the recent incidents and rescue operations that have taken place.
In this context, I would like to underline that the ongoing efforts of the Greek Authorities are supported by Frontex, often within a particularly complex and unstable operational environment.
In light of the above and taking into account the great migratory pressure that Europe still faces, we should act together, work closely together in a spirit of sincere solidarity.
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