September, the authorities lodged an appeal end, the government identified the National against the decision. Transparency Authority as competent to RIGHT TO LIFE investigate pushbacks incidents. NGOs, however, contested the independence of this In October, an Athens court resumed the body. hearing of the case of two individuals and Several cases of pushbacks remained four police officers indicted for the death of pending before the European Court of LGBTI activist Zak Kostopoulos in September Human Rights and the UN Human Rights 2018. Committee. During the same month, Nikos Sambanis, ACCESS TO ASYLUM an unarmed 18-year-old Roma man died In June, the government designated Turkey following a fatal shooting by police. A 16- as a “safe country” for asylum seekers from year-old Roma boy, also unarmed, sustained Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and serious injuries. Seven police officers were Somalia, as was already the case for Syrians charged with homicide with possible intent. under the EU-Turkey migration statement. Calls were made for the authorities to The designation means that asylum conduct thorough disciplinary and criminal applications to Greece from these investigations, including into possible racist nationalities could now be considered motives. inadmissible and applicants returned to Turkey. This decision disregarded the fact REFUGEES’ AND MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS that Turkey had been refusing to accept PUSHBACKS returns under the EU-Turkey statement since Pushbacks and human rights abuses against March 2020. It also failed to consider the refugees and migrants at land and sea difficulties facing asylum seekers and borders continued, despite systematic migrants in Turkey, including unlawful returns denials by the Greek authorities. and obstacles in accessing protection. In June, through the testimonies of 16 RECEPTION CONDITIONS victims, Amnesty International reported 21 Sea arrivals continued to decline sharply incidents of group pushbacks to Turkey in compared to previous years, leading to 1 2020 , conducted by individuals appearing to reduced numbers of refugees and migrants belong to law enforcement and individuals in on the Aegean islands. During the year, at civilian or unmarked clothing. The incidents least 86 people who attempted to cross the were estimated to have affected around Aegean were reported dead or missing. After 1,000 people. Many victims experienced fires destroyed Moria camp in 2020, work arbitrary detention and ill-treatment, in some began to replace open camps with “closed- cases amounting to torture. None of those controlled island facilities” (KEDN), funded interviewed had the opportunity to seek by the EU. From November, on the island of asylum or to challenge their return. The Samos, authorities illegally detained some of research, consistent with evidence from other the residents of the KEDN by preventing reputable actors, showed that pushbacks them from exiting the facility. The decision were Greece’s de facto policy of border affected asylum seekers without a valid management. More pushbacks were registration document (“asylum card”), documented in the second half of the year. including newcomers yet to be issued with In August, the European Commission one and people with unsuccessful asylum declared that the release of additional applications. funding for border control activities in Greece In December, ruling in the case of an would be conditional on the establishment by Afghan resident of the facility, a local court the country of an independent border found the prohibition of exit to be illegal and monitoring mechanism. While a new ordered for it to be lifted. At the end of the mechanism had not yet been created to this year, however, KEDN residents without a valid Amnesty International Report 2021/22 179