Meanwhile, high ranking Greek and Turkish governmental officials held numerous meetings throughout the year. In March 2013, 25 bilateral agreements were signed with Turkey. 28 Among them, an agreement, concerning irregular migration and readmission issues. However, its content was never disclosed by any side. The two officials have confirmed in statements on a number of occasions their very close cooperation regarding migration issues at an operational level. Likewise, UNHCR Greece issued a statement 34 concerning protection considerations for Syrian refugees and allegations of push-backs taking place at Greece’s borders. It specifically stated, that ‘some testimonies of Syrians received by UNHCR make reference to informal forced returns (push-backs) or attempted informal returns to Turkey’; and recommended that ‘Border control measures should be applied in a manner, in which persons fleeing Syria can find access to safety in Greece.’35 At the same time, the war in Syria escalated. In December 2012, UNHCR 29 issued a statement 30 concerning people fleeing Syria, noting that: ‘it is essential that protection provided to those fleeing Syria entail treatment which respects their fundamental humanity and dignity of individuals concerned and guarantees minimum humanitarian standards including: a) access to territory and safety, b) protection from refoulement, c) access to the necessities of life (...) e) respect for family unity and where needed special protection for children, in particular those who are unaccompanied/separated (...)’. In July 2013, Amnesty International (AI) published a report 36 about the systematic use of push-back operations in Greece. The EU Commissioner, Cecilia Malmström, in response to a parliamentary question related to the allegations made by Amnesty International, stated that, ‘The Commission is aware and very concerned about allegations of push-back operations to Turkey by the Greek authorities. (…) Should serious violations of fundamental rights be proven and persist, the suspension or termination – in part or in whole – of Frontex operations in those areas is a possibility.’37 On the 9th of April 2013, the Greek government changed its policy of detaining Syrian refugees and issuing them with deportation orders, by a special Circular 31 suspending their removal decision for six months (instead of 30 days), issued to all those identified as being Syrian. In answer to a parliamentary question concerning push-backs, the Greek Minister for Citizen Protection and Public Order stated: ‘With regards to the issue of interdiction, that the dear colleagues pose with their questions, according to our information, we inform you that no incident of interdiction of a foreigner who tried to illegally cross the Greek-Turkish borders was ever reported either by a Greek police officer or by a Frontex Testimonies of people pushed back from Greece to Turkey also began to emerge in the press 32, and were documented by human rights organizations. The UN Special Rapporteur, Mr. François Crépeau, after a fact-finding visit in Greece in April 2013, urged the Greek government and Frontex ‘to implement a human rights based approach to border management with the safety of the migrants being always the first consideration.’33 28 | To Vima, ‘Which are the 25 agreements signed with Turkey in Istanbul’, (Common Declaration on the reinforcement of cooperation in the field of illegal migration and readmission). Available at: http://www.tovima.gr/politics/article/?aid=501499 29 | UNHCR 18.10.13: UNHCR highlights dangers facing Syrians in transit, urges countries to keep borders open. Available at: http://www.unhcr.org/526114299.html 30 | UNHCR 2012: International Protection Considerations with regard to people fleeing the Syrian Arab Republic, Update I:. Available at: http://www.unhcr.gr/fileadmin/Greece/News/2012/Syria/Syria_emergency/Syria.pdf 31 | 9/4/13 Protocol Number 71778/13/511278 related to the Syrians who are arrested for illegal stay or entry in our country and against who, a deportation/return decision was issued. 32 | The Guardian, Syrian refugees‘ turned back from Greek border by police. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/dec/07/syrian-refugees-turned-back-greek ; BBC, Syrians accuse Greece of ‘pushing back’ migrant boats. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22757485 4 | eUROPE’S pRESSURE oN gREECE 33 | Crépeau, François 18.4.2013: Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Paragraph 30. Available at: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session23/A.HRC.23.46.Add.4 _en.pdf 34 | UNHCR 17.4.2012: Syrians in Greece: Protection Considerations and UNHCR Recommendations. Available at: http://www.unhcr.gr/fileadmin/Greece/News/2012/Syria/pc/Greece_Syria_Note_for_Pressconference_English.pdf ; See also: UNHCR 2012: International Protection Considerations with regard to people fleeing the Syrian Arab Republic, Update I. Available at: www.unhcr.gr/fileadmin/Greece/News/2012/Syria/Syria_emergency/Syria.pdf 35 | See also a more recent statement, UNHCR 18.10.13: UNHCR highlights dangers facing Syrians in transit, urges countries to keep borders open. Available at: http://www.unhcr.org/526114299.html 36 | Amnesty International 2013: Frontier Europe – Human Rights Abuses on Greece’s borders with Turkey. Available at: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/EUR25/008/2013/en/d93b63ac-6c5d4d0d-bd9f-ce2774c84ce7/eur250082013en.pdf 37 | Answer to the Parliamentary Question of 11th July 13 by Cecilia Malmström on behalf of the European Commission 3.9.13. Available at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getAllAnswers.do?reference=E-2013-008460&language=EN ; See also: Speech held during the Relocation Forum in Brussels on 25.9.13. Available at: http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/world/Malmstrom-warns-EU-states-of-illegality-of-migrants-pushbacks-20130926 eUROPE’S pRESSURE oN gREECE | 5