Top Tweets for #StopPushbacksNotPeople

⚠️Emergency alert, imminent threat of pushback from Farmakonisi⚠️ A group of 20 people, and a dog, arrived earlier today on the desert island of Farmakonisi, they desperately ask for help, so they are not illegally pushed back, as previous groups arriving on this island. The group is facing an imminent threat of being pushed back, as soon as the Greek authorities are informed of their presence on the island. At the same time, there is no other option than to inform authorities, because the only way off this militarized desert island, is by assistance of the Greek coast guard. The previous group that arrived on this island a few days ago, was found drifting in two life rafts in the Aegean Sea, we fear that this will be the fate of this group as well, if nothing is done. The group has provided pictures, videos and location data, that proves their presence on Farmakonisi. This can later be used as proof on violations of international law and human rights, if Greek authorities decide to illegally push them back to Turkey. We firmly believe that the only thing that can stop an imminent pushback of this group, is to publish about their presence on Farmakonisi. Please share this widely, in an effort to create as much attention and public awareness as possible, to discourage Greek authorities to push back this group on Farmakonisi. We know their chances are slim, but we owe them to at least try to give them a fighting chance. Please share! More pictures from this case on our Facebook post

While all eyes are fixed on The Middle East, border crimes continues in Greece. In the early morning of Monday November 13, at 07.30, a boat carrying 23 afghans, mostly families with children, was stopped 100 meters from land east of Korakas, Lesvos north by a vessel from the Greek coast guard. In the video, that was taken by one of the passengers, we can clearly see the cliffs of Korakas on the right side. We can also see a little white building on the left in the first 10 seconds of the video, it’s the chapel "Agios Theodoras". There is absolutely no question where this video was taken, any local can confirm that this is east of Korakas, Lesvos north. Masked men used boat hooks with iron tips to destroy the engine, in the process hitting and injuring several people onboard, amongst them an old man and a child. The masked coast guard officers took no notice of this, and continued to hit down hard toward the fragile rubber boat until the engine was destroyed. Everyone onboard was terrified, we can hear people screaming hysterically, it’s just unbelievable that members of a European coast guard agency, who have sworn an oath to protect human lives, can perform such atrocities, it’s just appalling. The group of 23 men, women and children were taken onboard the coast guard vessel, the masked officers told them that they would take them to a “UN camp”, this was unfortunately a lie. Read the full report with pictures and videos in the link below 👇 #StopBorderCrimes https://t.co/XRwabi7d6c

In the morning of October 6, a boat carrying 47 Afghans was stopped by the Greek coast guard after crossing into Greek waters outside Lesvos. The people in the small rubber boat tried the best they could to avoid being stopped, but a rubber boat was no match for a Greek coastal patrol vessel, and the Lambro 57, ID marking ΛΣ-602, stationed on Lesvos, eventually stopped the boat. The video shows how masked men onboard the Greek coast guard vessel are using boat hooks to try to incapacitate the fragile rubber boat. Usually they try to either destroy the engine itself, or cut off the patrol hose. In many cases they, instead of ramming the engine, ends up hurting the people in the boat, or damaging the rubber boat, that potentially could sink it. All 47 were taken onboard the Greek coast guard vessel, and transported back towards Turkey. In the middle of the sea, close to Turkish waters, they were forced into two life rafts and left helplessly drifting, in direct violation of international laws and human rights. At 13.00 pm the Turkish coast guard found and rescued 47 people, many of them small children, from two life rafts drifting outside Dikili, Turkey. This was done in brought daylight, in an area heavily guarded and monitored by the European Border And Coast Guard Agency Frontex, strangely enough they didn’t see anything. It’s actually an incredible achievement, 2.600 registered pushback cases since March 2020 in the Aegean Sea, involving over 70.000 people, and Frontex, with all it’s technology and resources, hav never seen or reported any illegal activities by Greek authorities, it’s just unbelievable. What you see in this short video captured on one of the victims phone is happening every day in the Aegean Sea. Hundreds of people’s rights are violated every single day by Greek authorities, in the name of border protection, while those who have sworn to serve and protect are looking the other way. Many European politicians and institutions seem to have forgotten that human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Today it seems like only a privileged elite is entitled to these rights, many are deemed unworthy, based on skin color, religion and place of birth. #StopBorderCrimes