For us, the refugee and migrant communities, June 20th, especially this year, is not a day of celebration, but a day of mourning. We mourn the hundreds and thousands of victims, men, women, and children, who lose their lives in their effort to exercise their most fundamental right: access to international protection.
In Greece, one of the main gateways to Europe, deterrence policies, systematic pushbacks, and institutional indifference cost human lives. The violent pushback operations in the Aegean and Evros, under the responsibility of the Greek state and FRONTEX, have been repeatedly documented by international and national bodies, including the Greek Ombudsman and international as well as national organizations such as the Refugee Support Aegean, the Greek Council for Refugees, among others. Recent tragedies, such as the Pylos shipwreck and the incident near Rhodes documented in our joint statement, bear witness to an appalling and recurring pattern of state violence.
Even when refugees reach Greek and European soil, they are condemned to invisibility, institutional exclusion, and inhumane conditions. The so-called Reception and Identification Centers (RICs) operate as spaces of confinement and criminalization of asylum seekers. Beneficiaries of international protection, without support programs, end up homeless and exposed to risks of exploitation.
The current government, through a declared policy of deterrence, not only pushes people to their deaths but also attempts to silence the voices of those who insist on speaking out. Civil society organizations are targeted, while refugees are instrumentalized for political gain.
However, as communities, we do not rest. Together with all those who resist barbarity and inhumanity, we raise our voices and make our demands.
A day of awakening, compassion, and solidarity
Although Greece is on the front line of European refugee and migration management, instead of protecting lives, it participates in a European system of deterrence and exclusion, which has turned borders into places of human rights violations, leading to death. Similar policies are applied throughout the European Union, reinforced by the lack of substantial responsibility-sharing and solidarity policies and the rise of anti-migrant governments.
At the same time, June 20th is also a day of international reflection. From Gaza to Syria and Afghanistan, from Ukraine to Sudan, millions of people live uprooted, displaced by wars, poverty, and repression. Unfortunately, the ongoing expansion of conflicts, such as the recent example in Iran, foreshadows even more uprooting of innocent people.
We do not ask for charity. We ask for the obvious: responsibility, humanity, and accountability for what is happening. We all share responsibility for stopping this injustice.
We call for national, European, and international initiatives to address the root of the problem: war and conflict. We demand peace and justice. We ourselves, as refugees, are the first to demand peace, so that no one is forced to abandon their home and life.
Furthermore, we sound the alarm regarding the new EU Migration and Asylum Pact, which has already been approved as European law and will soon enter into force. This new framework, combined with the harsh policy and rhetoric of Greek authorities and the irresponsible stance of European institutions and member states, threatens to turn border countries like Greece into institutionalized limbos where human rights are suspended. It will intensify the already unbearable situation, leading to inhumane living and detention conditions, even for children, families, and other vulnerable groups. The first to be harmed will be refugees and asylum seekers, while our country will face further international exposure.
We Demand – We Call For – We Claim:
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- The immediate end of illegal pushbacks at the borders
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- The investigation of all crimes committed at the borders and the assignment of responsibilities
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- Access to protection and dignified reception for all asylum seekers
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- Support for vulnerable groups (women, children, unaccompanied minors) with genuine care
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- The institutional recognition and meaningful participation of refugees and migrants in dialogue and decision-making processes
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- Support for refugee/migrant communities and organizations in the field and in society
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- Solidarity and coordination among civil society organizations in Greece and Europe, especially at this difficult time
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- Upholding of European principles and values: democracy, rule of law, human rights
The Greek Forum of Refugees, together with the communities it represents, will continue to fight on a daily basis for a society without exclusions, without discrimination, with dignity and equality for all.
We do not forget the victims. We do not stay silent in the face of injustice. We unite our voices.
Greek Forum of Refugees June 20, 2025 – World Refugee Day
