EU Border Agency Threatens to Slash Greek Funding Amid Alleged Illegal Pushbacks of Migrants

Greece could lose funding from Frontex as the European Union’s border agency investigates 12 open cases of potential human rights violations of migrants at its borders, the highest number of ongoing investigations by country across the bloc.

The majority of the open cases are related to alleged forced removals of thousands of people by Greek migration officials at land borders and at sea, a practice known as pushbacks that is illegal under the U.N. Refugee Convention and international law.

Frontex said it will make specific suggestions for Greece to implement — with potential repercussions if ignored.

“[T]he executive director of Frontex has said that he expects all these recommendations to be implemented. Otherwise, he would consider reducing or cutting funding for co-financed assets,” said Chris Borowski, spokesman for the EU border agency Frontex. Those co-financed assets refer to a number of Greek coast guard vessels.

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In January 2025, the European Court of Human Rights found Greek authorities guilty of conducting systematic pushbacks of migrants, and violating human rights law in the process. The EU has previously called on Greece to investigate allegations of migrants being abandoned at sea and deportations by its authorities.

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In 2023, hundreds of migrants were thought to have died at sea when a fishing boat sank off the coast of Greece’s southern peninsula while trying to reach Europe from Libya. {snip}

Frontex Fundamental Rights Officer Jonas Grimheden then recommended temporarily suspending the agency’s activities in Greece.

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