Over 1 Billion in EU Funds Linked to Rights Violations in Greece and Beyond

Over 1 Billion Euros in European Union funds have been used to support projects that violate the fundamental rights of marginalized groups, including Roma communities, people with disabilities, and migrants.

28.05.2025 17:30

Newsroom

Over 1 Billion in EU Funds Linked to Rights Violations in Greece and Beyond

Inside the Refugee camp in Samos island that has been created in Greece with the support of the EU, as it is the first EU-funded closed controlled facility, the new Samos RIC ( Reception and Identification center) as Europe will spend 276 million euros of EU money for new camps on the islands of Samos, Lesbos, Chios, Kos and Leros . Daily life in the new migrant camp with the prefabricated houses, a closed controlled facility where people can enter only by using their card in addition to their biometrical fingerprint. The new camp can host up to 3500 people split in 8 different main areas according to the group category or ethnicity and there is also a prison like detention facility. On September 21, 2021 the authorities moved all the remaining people from the former camp located in Vathi - Samos to the new one. Police and private security do a screening - security check before entering in the camp. In the camp operate some NGO like euro relief, msf nearby, in addition to IOM and UNHCR. After the relocation asylum seekers complained about the lack of shadow, the quality of food and the distance from the town. The camp has residents from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and other African countries. The official name is the Closed Controlled Access Center of Samos, run by the Greek government from the Ministry of Migration & Asylum. Zervou, Samos Island, Greece on September 23, 2021 (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto)

28.05.2025 17:30

Society

Newsroom

Over 1 Billion Euros in European Union funds have been used to support projects that violate the fundamental rights of marginalized groups, including Roma communities, people with disabilities, and migrants.

Over 1 Billion Euros in European Union funds have been used to support projects that violate the fundamental rights of marginalized groups, including Roma communities, people with disabilities, and migrants, according to a new report released by the Bridge EU project.

The report draws on findings from six countries, including Greece, and uncovers systemic issues in how EU money is managed and monitored.

“For the first time, this research exposes widespread and common areas of rights violations funded by the EU – affecting Roma communities, persons with disabilities and with a migrant background,” said Lefteris Papagiannakis, Director of the Greek Council for Refugees and FURI project coordinator. “From segregated education to institutionalization, the findings reveal systemic discrimination. EU and national authorities must act urgently to prevent further rights violations and ensure that EU money supports equality and inclusion.”

Despite legal safeguards, the report identifies €1.1 billion in EU spending on projects that fail to comply with EU and international human rights obligations.

In Greece, key concerns include the use of EU funds to support the institutionalization of people with disabilities and Roma children, rather than promoting community-based living. Segregated education for Roma children and those with disabilities also persists, despite EU funding being available to support inclusive education.

The report references previous scrutiny from the European Ombudsman, who examined the compliance of EU-funded migration centers in Greece with fundamental rights standards. Moreover, concerns have been raised by the European Court of Auditors regarding the use of EU funds in Greece for the integration of third-country nationals, suggesting limited impact and oversight.

This research echoes several warnings from human rights organization across Greece. In April a report from watch-dog groups in Greece concluded that refugee camps in Greece’s mainland “are inadequate and undignified, still failing to meet minimum legal standards and depriving people of their basic human rights.” In December three human rights monitoring groups submitted a joint letter to the European Council Committee for the Prevention of Torture with a report that concludes Greece is subjecting third country nationals in detention to conditions “which could amount to torture or inhuman and degrading treatment.” The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, expressed serious concerns over Greece’s handling of migration and the human rights of Roma communities following his visit to the country from February 3-7.

Across Europe, the Bridge EU investigation documented 63 projects that illustrate how EU funding has been misused to support policies of segregation, institutionalization, and deprivation of liberty. The most affected populations include those with disabilities, Roma communities, and people with migrant backgrounds.

The report calls on EU institutions and national governments, including Greece, to strengthen oversight mechanisms, enforce legal obligations tied to funding, and ensure that EU investments promote inclusion rather than perpetuate marginalization.