Meanwhile, two Mediterranean rescue ships carrying 110 refugees struggle through high waves and 40-knot winds after Italy forces them to sail over 1,000km to safety A COURT in Greece is to decide later this week whether to drop the “farcical” charges against 24 refugee rescuers after the trial today was postponed to Friday, following proceduralContinue reading “Greek court to rule on ‘farcical’ charges against refugee rescuers this week”
Tag Archives: Mare Liberum
Refugee pushbacks at Greece’s borders continued unabated last year, new report finds
Mare Liberum publishes harrowing testimonies from refugees in its Pushback Report 2021 THE illegal practice of forcibly returning refugees across borders, known as pushback, continued unabated in Greece last year, an independent human rights organisation says in a report published today. The report, by Mare Liberum, a charity that monitors the Greek coastguard’s treatment ofContinue reading “Refugee pushbacks at Greece’s borders continued unabated last year, new report finds”
‘The possibilities for change are endless’
Ben Cowles takes a look back at the podcast interviews he did this year, hoping that the words of those fighting back against Fortress Europe will inspire others to tear its walls down “I HAD this moment after our third rescue,” Doctors Without Borders (MSF) midwife Kira Smith says during our interview about the charity’sContinue reading “‘The possibilities for change are endless’”
Greek coastguard’s intentions called into question after it orders human rights monitoring ship to go back to port
Meanwhile, in the central Med, Sea-Watch 3 allowed to come ashore, but Aita Mari is kept waiting THE Greek coastguard’s intentions were called into question today after it ordered an NGO ship to sail back to port for supposedly “posing a danger” to its operations — despite not ordering the other vessels in the areaContinue reading “Greek coastguard’s intentions called into question after it orders human rights monitoring ship to go back to port”
‘It is absolutely necessary for a civil eye to be present in Aegean Sea’
The Mare Liberum’s Marie and Abby tell The Civil Fleet how European governments have tried to stop the ship and her crew from carrying out their human rights monitoring missions, and why they must return to the sea today despite many threats to the mission IT’S BEEN close to two years since the activist crewContinue reading “‘It is absolutely necessary for a civil eye to be present in Aegean Sea’”
Mare Liberum to resume refugee rights monitoring missions in the Aegean Sea
Crew sets sail for Samos as Greek Coastguards continue illegal refugee pushbacks to Turkey A HUMAN rights monitoring group whose work the German state had tried to thwart announced its return to the Aegean Sea today. The refugee support organisation Mare Liberum had been monitoring migrant and refugee sea crossings between Turkey and Greece sinceContinue reading “Mare Liberum to resume refugee rights monitoring missions in the Aegean Sea”
Top EU official condemned for window-dressing the containment of refugees
Ylva Johansson’s visit to Greece’s migrant camps is ‘equivalent to a warden’s visit at the prison they manage.’ says Alarm Phone HUMAN RIGHTS groups have condemned a top European Union official for window-dressing the bloc’s policy of containing refugees at Europe’s edges. Today, EU home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson was helicoptered to the Greek islandsContinue reading “Top EU official condemned for window-dressing the containment of refugees”
Refugee rights defenders condemn the EU-Turkey migrant deal on its fifth anniversary
Meanwhile, the Ocean Viking rescue ship finds 11 people off the coast of Libya Refugee rights groups condemned the European Union’s migrant deal with Turkey today on its fifth anniversary. The 2016 deal, officially known as EU-Turkey Statement, allowed the Greek authorities to return to Turkey any person who had crossed into the country irregularly.Continue reading “Refugee rights defenders condemn the EU-Turkey migrant deal on its fifth anniversary”
Close to 10,000 people pushed back to Turkey by Greek coastguard and Frontex, activists allege
New report by Mare Liberum documents 321 migrant pushbacks in the Aegean Sea last year CLOSE to 10,000 people were forcibly pushed back across the Aegean Sea to Turkey last year by the Greek coastguard and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), according to a human rights monitoring organisation. Mare Liberum, a GermanContinue reading “Close to 10,000 people pushed back to Turkey by Greek coastguard and Frontex, activists allege”
Another desperate weekend at Europe’s borders for refugees and the activists trying to save them
Hundreds returned to war-torn Libya by EU-supported coastguard while the Alan Kurdi rescue ship is detained in Italy for the second time this year IT WAS another fraught weekend for refugees attempting to reach Europe by sea and for the activists trying to help them. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) confirmed on Sunday that theContinue reading “Another desperate weekend at Europe’s borders for refugees and the activists trying to save them”
The Civil Fleet 