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The non-legal immigrants arrested by the Border Services of the Hellenic Police, return to Turkey,
on the basis of a Bilateral Protocol of Readmission and the EU-Turkey Agreement. These returns
take place as provided by the Border Transit Point of Evros Gardens and in no case via unofficial
refoulements.
For the best operational response, the Hellenic Police Headquarters has issued standing orders,
which are transmitted to the staff of the Border Guard Services in relation to the behavior of the
police staff towards the immigrants and refugees, for the full respect of the fundamental human
rights.
It is worth noting that the Greek police officers that operate in Evros over the last years are co-assisted by a
staff of the European Border Guard and Coast Guard Organisation (Frontex), which by the Joint Operations
held (Flexible Operational Activities and Focal Points), assists the National Operation "ASPIDA" with the
purpose of strengthening the response to the greek-turkish borders. In particular, within the actions of
Frontex, in the region of Evros a great number of officers, coming from various Member-States of the
Organization has taken action, without having ever recorded some incidence of illegal refoulement or
violation of human rights by police officers of the Border Guard Services. Said officers, always under the
supervision of the Greek police officers, take part so much in the prevention operations (entrance
prevention), as in the handling of immigrants after their location (procedures of verification of
nationality, debriefing, interpreting, etc).
Following the investigation of a number of similar reported incidents by the proper Services of the Hellenic
Police, it is concluded that the said complaints are not confirmed. In no case, should this fact leave any
space to negative impressions, as to the very difficult operational work of the police staff during the
handling of migrating flows in the greek-turkish borders.
At the same time, said complaints should not cancel the broad scale measures taken carried out in
the region of Evros and which also show substantial and positive results in the field of immigrants
handling.
In this context, the Hellenic Police will keep accomplishing its work with professionalism and respect to the
human rights, whilst it will continue to look into ways of better handling of the borders and protection of
migrating flows, fighting at the same time any arbitrariness case within it.
B.-Besides the foregoing, we have included in our planning on the application of the National
Programme of the Domestic Affairs sector 20142020 (AMU') a number of actions related to the
Detention Centres for Aliens and the returns, the implementation of which will contribute, by order
of priority, to the increase of returns and the assurance of the living conditions with decent living
conditions.
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