In an extensive memorandum issued this week, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, once again raised serious concerns about Greece’s handling of migration and asylum, citing reports of pushbacks, ill-treatment, and limited accountability for alleged human rights violations.

The report, based on O’Flaherty’s February visit to Greece, paints a troubling picture of how Greek authorities have responded to migration flows at land and sea borders. Central among the Commissioner’s concerns is the persistent allegation of illegal “pushbacks” — the forced return of migrants without due process — in the Evros region and the Aegean Sea.

Citing a recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights in the case A.R.E. v. Greece, O’Flaherty pointed to indications of a systematic practice of such illegal returns. He criticized what he described as the Greek government’s failure to conduct effective investigations into complaints of ill-treatment and summary returns.

“Effective investigations into alleged human rights violations at borders are still lacking,” the Commissioner wrote. He expressed particular alarm that complaints filed by migrants and civil society groups were frequently dismissed, raising concerns about “the credibility of domestic accountability mechanisms.”

The Commissioner specifically focused on the deadly Pylos shipwreck, where over 500 people lost their lives trying to reach Europe, and called for “prompt, independent, impartial, thorough and effective investigations” into the incident. He noted that survivors and media reports allege that the Greek Coast Guard’s attempted tow may have caused the vessel to capsize. Despite this, “the Hellenic Coast Guard General Inspectorate did not conduct any investigation”, raising serious concerns about accountability. An independent inquiry by the Greek Ombudsman found that the Coast Guard’s actions likely constituted “deadly exposure to danger”. The Ministry of Shipping’s response to the report, deriding the inquiry as improper, was described by the Commissioner as “unfortunate.”

The memorandum also flagged inadequate conditions for unaccompanied minors, including prolonged detention in “Reception and Identification Centres”, as well as new legal and administrative hurdles that restrict the work of NGOs and human rights defenders in the migration space.

“Rather than tightening restrictions on civil society, Greek authorities should reinforce cooperation with those actors and ensure that national security is not invoked to unjustifiably limit human rights,” O’Flaherty stated.

In a written response appended to the Commissioner’s report, the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum once again rejected the allegations of a systematic policy of pushbacks, insisting rather that Greece complies with its international obligations.

“The case of A.R.E. v. Greece is not final and has been referred to the Grand Chamber,” the Ministry noted, arguing that it should not be interpreted as evidence of a consistent pattern of abuse. The government also cited a separate ECtHR ruling (G.R.J. v. Greece) issued the same day, which dismissed the applicant’s claims due to lack of prima facie evidence.

Greek officials emphasized that national prosecutors take complaints seriously, reporting that 67 cases concerning alleged pushbacks were investigated between 2020 and early 2024. Of those, 17 are still under criminal examination.

The government also defended its treatment of unaccompanied minors, stating that since 2023, substantial reforms have been introduced — including the creation of a Fundamental Rights Officer, a structured complaint mechanism, and improved reception capacity. Officials stated, however, that a recent uptick in arrivals had strained the system.

On the issue of civil society access to camps, the Ministry said that registered organizations are allowed to operate in reception facilities and that lawyers face no restrictions beyond routine access protocols. “There is no ‘exclusion’ policy,” the government said, adding that “balanced regulation” is necessary for security and order.

Finally, Greek authorities reiterated their broader position: that Greece hosts too many migrants: “Greece remains committed to protecting human rights — but it also calls for a fair distribution of responsibilities among EU member states,” the response concluded.