European Home Affairs Commissioner Eva Johansson has warned Greece that the Commission intends to take a formal step on the recent deportation of asylum seekers that has reverberated in the US press.
This came in a statement posted on Twitter on Monday about the scenes of the return of asylum seekers that took place on April 11, and was published by the New York Times on May 19.
Johansson said she met with the Greek government a year ago to discuss border management, noting that she had made it clear at the time that illegal deportation was irrelevant, and that she had reached out to the relevant authorities again after the footage published by the newspaper was circulated.
"We have sent a formal request to the Greek authorities for a full and independent investigation into this incident, and the Greek authorities should carry out appropriate follow-up based on the new independent monitoring mechanism."
Take action
Johansson said the EU Commission was "ready to take formal steps as appropriate".
The European Commission has the power to take action against a member state for violations that could give rise to a complaint in the European courts. Under European rules, the first country in which a migrant enters the EU is responsible for his asylum claim.
Greek authorities are regularly accused of deporting people seeking asylum to the EU, a practice prohibited by international law.
The Greek government rejects the accusations despite repeated testimonies from migrants and reports from NGOs.
According to photos published by the New York Times, 12 asylum seekers, including women and children, were taken on the island of Medelli to a remote point via a white minibus by people wearing masks, and then placed in a rubber boat, where they were transferred to a Greek coast guard boat, which in turn left them in the middle of the Aegean Sea.