Melting Pot Europe spoke with RLS's Elèna Santioli about illegal pushbacks

18/04/2022

RLS Islands Project Coordinator Elèna Santioli was interviewed by Melting Pot Europa on the topic of illegal pushbacks and on how Legal Centre Lesvos seeks to prevent them through legal action before the European Court of Human Rights.

Legal Centre Lesvos and Refugee Legal Support have closely and successfully collaborated since 2021. An extract in English can be found below and the full interview in Italian can be found here.

"Commandos of masked men savagely push individuals back to Turkey in the Aegean sea. The practice of pushbacks is illegal but systematic at the borders of Europe, including in the Aegean islands. It represents a direct attack on the right of people fleeing war and persecution to seek asylum and a crime against humanity that puts thousands of lives at risk of death."