THE EUROPEAN UNION’S border enforcement agency Frontex has said it is investigating multiple alleged human rights violations by Greece in dealing with irregular immigration.

The agency said it is reviewing 12 alleged serious incidents that mostly occurred in 2024, but gave no details.

Frontex spokesman Chris Borowski told The Associated Press the agency recently boosted its complaint mechanism. There was no immediate response from the Greek government.

Greece has come under increased international scrutiny and criticism from human rights groups after a migrant boat sank in 2023 off its southern coast, killing hundreds. 

In November 2023, the medical NGO Doctors Without Border (MSF) released a report detailing accounts of asylum seekers being pushed back out to sea after arriving on Greek islands. 

Greek authorities told The Journal at the time that they operate in line with international law.

In a January ruling, the European Court of Human Rights described Greece’s use of summary expulsions of asylum seekers, known as pushbacks, as being systematic. UN experts have also urged Greece to ensure its border policies are transparent and impartial. 

Greece’s government denies the allegations made at the European court, maintaining that its coast guard has rescued more than 250,000 migrants in accidents or distress at sea, and that it acts within the law and international obligations.

The Greek government says it actively deters illegal crossings to its eastern islands, a major entry point for asylum seekers into the European Union, but does not carry out summary deportations.

Frontex, which itself has been heavily criticised by human rights groups, rarely expresses criticism of the countries in which it is deployed, and Borowski said the agency intended to address the alleged violations in partnership with Greece.

“Every Frontex officer deployed is trained and obligated to report potential violations. This is a core part of our mandate,” he said.

“We believe change comes from partnership, not passivity.”

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With reporting from Press Association