Fresh off the heels of the Greek election that saw the center-right, anti-mass migration New Democracy party cruise to a resounding victory, securing over 40% of the national vote, Brussels has demanded an independent investigation to be carried out over alleged ‘migrant pushbacks’ and threatened to take “formal steps” against Greece. 

The demand from the European Commission, which has left-liberal, pro-mass migration activist politicians placed in key leadership positions, follows video footage captured by an Austrian activist on the Greek island of Lesbos—published by the New York Times on Friday, May 19th—that allegedly shows Greek authorities carrying out ‘migrant pushbacks,’ the Athens-based newspaper To Pontiki reports.

EU Home Affairs Commission Ylva Johansson (S&D) on Monday, May 22nd, just one day after the Greek election, revealed that her office had contacted authorities in Athens, demanding that an independent investigation into the alleged incident take place.

“My services have sent a formal request to Greek authorities that this incident be fully and independently investigated,” Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson (S&D) wrote on Twitter.

“It is necessary that proper follow-up is taken by Greek authorities, also based on the new independent monitoring mechanism and the EU Commission stands ready to take formal steps, as appropriate,” she added.

While Johansson may be eager to move forward with the investigation, the European Commission has stated that it will not initiate immediate action, given that the inquiry is currently the responsibility of Greek prosecutors, the Ombudsman, and the National Transparency Authority. 

During a press conference on Monday, Dana Spinant, the deputy spokesperson of the European Commission, stated: “We are not going to draw conclusions and announce actions or activity that we take before becoming aware of the conclusions of that investigation which will be carried out at the national level.”

For years, NGOs have repeatedly accused authorities in Greece of engaging in such pushbacks—accusations that Athens has continually and adamantly denied. Furthermore, all investigations conducted by Greek authorities into such allegations have cleared the relevant government agencies, namely the coast guard and military, of any wrongdoing. 

Prime Minister Mitsotakis has repeatedly defended his government’s strict migration policy, noting that the massive support his party enjoys is clear proof that the Greek public is on his side when it comes to migration. 

EU member states situated on the south and eastern flanks of the bloc, perhaps most notably Greece and Italy, have raised the issue that their countries are disproportionately and unfairly burdened by illegal mass migration. Despite many efforts to do so, the EU, thus far, has failed to agree on a scheme that would see illegal migrants and asylum seekers redistributed throughout the entire bloc.

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The European Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen announced Wednesday that the EU is planning to host a donor conference in March to collect international aid for Türkiye and Syria to help them following two massive earthquakes which took place on Monday.

“We are now racing against the clock to save lives together. Soon we will provide relief aid, together. Türkiye and Syria can count on the EU,” von der Leyen wrote on Twitter.

The EU said the conference would be held early next month in Brussels in coordination with Turkish authorities “to mobilise funds from the international community in support for the people” of both countries.

“No one should be left alone when a tragedy like this hits a people,” von der Leyen said in a statement.

The event is aimed at coordinating the international response to the disaster and “will be open to EU Member States, neighbouring countries, UN members” and international lenders, the bloc said.

The European Union was swift to dispatch rescue teams to Türkiye after massive magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes struck the country on Monday close to the border with Syria.

But it initially offered only minimal assistance to Syria through existing humanitarian programs because of EU sanctions imposed since 2011 on the Assad regime in response to his brutal crackdown on protesters, which spiraled into a civil war.

On Wednesday, Damascus made an official plea to the EU for help, the bloc’s commissioner for crisis management said.

Now that Damascus has made the move, through the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism that coordinates aid, Janez Lenarcic said the commission was asking European countries “to respond favourably to this request.”

The participants in the EU mechanism comprise the 27 EU countries plus eight neighboring non-EU nations that include Norway and Türkiye.

The European Union sent 1,150 rescuers and 70 rescue dogs to Türkiye in the wake of Monday’s powerful quakes.

At least 9,057 people were killed and 52,000 others were injured in 10 provinces of Türkiye after two strong earthquakes on Monday jolted the southern part of the country.

The earthquakes also rocked several neighboring countries in the region, including Lebanon and Syria.

Syria, already reeling from a decadelong civil war, has been hit particularly bad with over 2,500 deaths and thousands of others injured.

Source : Daily Sabah

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