92 Naked Migrants Found on Greece – Turkey Border

Ninety two naked migrants were found near the Greece – Turkey border in Evros region, the Greek Ministry of Citizen Protection announced. The photos released have shocked the Greek authorities and “show Turkey’s inhumane treatment of refugees” according to the Greek authorities.

The Greek Border Guard rescued the individuals from the banks of the Evros river on Greece’s northeastern border this Friday October 14th. They had been dumped at the location without clothes, personal items or equipment, Greek authorities said.

Naked migrants Turkey’s latest act of provocation

The Ministry of Citizen Protection has since openly castigated Turkey for its latest provocation. In regards to the 92 naked migrants sent, it stated: “Turkey continues to openly use immigrants as a tool, to violate human rights, to violate International Law.”

According to the Ministry of Citizen Protection, the immigrants testified to Greek police that they were carried to Evros in three Turkish vehicles before boarding on plastic boats to cross to the Greek side.

Migration Min. Mitarachi calls on Turkey to investigate incident of 92 naked migrants salvaged by Greece in Evros region https://t.co/gzyNkLZHYb

— HellasJournal.Com (@HellasJournal) October 15, 2022

Turkey continues to openly instrumentalist migrants, violate human rights, violate International Law,” continued the ministry. “While Greece is effectively protecting its borders, showing respect for human life, Turkey continues to ignore not only International Law, but also basic human behavior.”

Migration crisis: Turkey instrumentalizing human misery

The act of instrumentalizing human misery for political attention or gains has become one of Turkey’s most infamous techniques. Neither Greece nor the EU are standing for it, however.

The migrants “had been abandoned completely naked and without any equipment,” the ministry said. https://t.co/QjddS5chO5

— Bruno Tersago (@BrunoTersago) October 15, 2022

 

“At a time when Greece is effectively protecting its borders, showing respect for human life, Turkey continues to ignore not only International Law, but also basic human behavior” Takis Theodorikakos, Minister of Citizen Protection, stated on Friday at the Council of Ministers of the Interior and Public Order in Luxembourg

🇬🇷🇹🇷 Greece's Minister of Citizen Protection Takis Theodorikakos accused Turkey of weaponising illegal migrants after it was revealed that 200,000 attempted border crossings were registered in the Evros region since the beginning of the year, a sharp increase from 2021. pic.twitter.com/2ns52TqnJu

— European Insider (@Europa_Insider) October 10, 2022

Not the first time for Turkey

This is not the first time Greece accuses Turkey for illegally smuggling migrants across the border and for inhuman treatment. Both actions have led to outrage from Greece and the EU over the country’s handling of the immigration crisis.

Turkey’s President Erdogan has accused Greece of lying about reports published on the various incidents, however.

March 2022 marked the sixth anniversary of the EU-Turkey Statement stating that people crossing irregularly to the Greek islands from Turkey would have to be returned there.

The Greek Joint Ministerial Decision (JMD) in June 2021 designating Turkey as a ’safe’ country for refugees compounded that fact.

Before that decree, applications from asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Somali were to be examined individually. Acceptance would then be based on circumstances and risks faced in their home country. Afterwards however, Greece deemed  they were ‘safe’ in Turkey. Only if proven otherwise were the applications considered ‘admissible’.