30 Cuban asylum seekers expelled by Greece to Turkey

At least 30 Cubans seeking asylum in Europe were forcibly expelled from Greece to Turkey towards the end of last year, according to a report by Al Jazeera.

Some of the Cubans said that Greek police officers and border guards subjected them to violence including forced undressing, confiscation of passports and personal items, and detention without food or water, as well as several forms of assault.

Cubans expelled to Turkey are left in limbo without any form of identification or access to legal aid.

Greek officers forces the refugees to walk to neighbouring forests, loaded them onto boats, and made them swim across a river to Turkey, telling them "to find the closest village", the report claims.

Refugee support organisation Mobile Info Team adds that the violent practices in Greece are exacerbated by the country's tough access to asylum.

In August 2021, Human Rights Watch reported "substantial evidence" that the Greek government secretly expelled thousands of migrants in recent months trying to reach its shores where authorities forced "people onto small inflatable rescue rafts and sending them back to Turkish waters".

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis denied the allegations:

"It has not happened. We’ve been the victims of a significant misinformation campaign," he told CNN.