This, to be noted, was despite affirmations on the incidents’ occurrence coming from a current MP and former Minister of the ruling government.20 That being said, push-backs have seemingly not only been enacted on a systematic basis, but also on an escalating one during the past two years.21 Indicatively, between March and October 2016, and as part of the EVI-MED programme,22 GCR conducted a research during which some 300 in-depth surveys were completed by a similar number of participants in the region of Attiki (Athens and surrounding areas) and Thessaloniki. One of the survey’s questions, which were not utilized in the final report, related to the number of attempts participants had made at crossing the borders towards Greece, before being allowed to stay/request asylum. Though the survey was not Evros-specific, 89 participants had at the time replied having attempted to enter more than once (average of 2-3 times). Throughout 2017 and the beginning of 2018, on the other hand, and in the context of an October 2017-January 2018 mission to Evros and the broader region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, GCR documented 31 such cases, amounting to a total of 47 asylum seekers who had fallen victims of arbitrary deportation upon entry in Greece. As per their statements, at first and following their arrest (for illegal entry), they had been stripped of their belongings (phones, IDs etc.) and transferred to detention facilities where, following a short stay (hours-days), they had been once more transferred – by uniformed, armed and hooded personnel (police and military-type/resembling outfits)– to the Evros river banks. From there, they, alongside an as of yet unspecified, yet as per their accounts well exceeding the 200 mark, number of asylum seekers –including vulnerable ones and families– had been boarded in small vessels and sent back to Turkey. To be noted, several of the victims had to engage in these desperate attempts on multiple occasions (average of 3 attempts at entering Greece), with some having to enter Greece no less than 7 and even 10 times, before being granted access to asylum.23 Lastly, a large majority of them were nationals of so-called “top refugee producing countries” (Syria and Afghanistan) or of countries where forced displacement is an increasingly concerning reality (i.e. Yemen).24 9