1.1 | Scope and Methodology 2 | SUMMARY PRO ASYL conducted research into the alleged use of push-backs from Greece’s land and sea borders with Turkey. The aim was to examine whether and to what extent such reported practices are indeed taking place, and to establish who the people affected by them and the main actors enforcing them are, and the means that they employ. “Our boat was torn and they had tied it with a rope. (…) They took us to the Greek - Turkish waters and threw us one by one in our boat. One of us fell in the sea and we collected him from the water. They were throwing us as if we were garbage. Then they cut the rope. There was no engine, no fuel on the boat and no paddles.” The research team conducted 90 interviews with people who claim to have been pushed back from Greece to Turkey, either from the land or sea borders, or in some cases, both. The interviewees were Syrian (49), Afghan (32), Somali (5) and Eritrean (4) refugees, who claim to be in need of international protection. Among them were 12 women (three of whom are single mothers and three of whom are pregnant), 78 male refugees (one of whom has been diagnosed with metastatic cancer), 12 families, five unaccompanied minors and three elderly people. Interview with a refugee from Syria. 46 men, women, children and babies from Syria were pushed back Out of the 90 interviewees, a total of 76 reported that they had been pushed back once (16 from the Evros region and 60 in the Aegean sea – 19 of the latter could not specify the island where the push-back took place, yet 21 mentioned Farmakonisi, 14 Lesvos, three Chios and three Samos). The remaining 14 interviewees reported to PRO ASYL, that they had been pushed back more than once, in most cases first from their first entry point at Evros and subsequently from Lesvos and Samos. The interviews were held in Athens, the northern Aegean islands (Greece), Izmir (Turkey) and Frankfurt (Germany). PRO ASYL mainly concentrated on the Aegean area, where an increase in arrivals has been registered since August 2012. Members of the research team visited some of the main entry points where refugees arrive from Turkey (the islands of Lesvos and Samos), and a few other places, where persons who have allegedly been subjected to push-back operations temporarily reside. Interviews were held in Dari, Arabic and English. All interviews were held in-person and, in some cases, subsequent telephone interviews were conducted for follow up purposes. Meetings were also held with different member organisations of ECRE (European Council on Refugees and Exiles), lawyers and the staff of refugee assisting organisations in Greece, Turkey and Germany, as well as solidarity groups and experts working in the refugee field. The purpose of these was to exchange relevant information, confirm the research findings and evaluate possible changes that might have occurred relevant to the practices followed by Greek authorities, both on its land and sea borders with Turkey. VIII | iNTROCDUCTION | sCOPE aND mETHODOLIGY from the Greek Island of Farmakonisi on August 8th 2013. This report is based on 90 in person interviews held with people who have tried at least once to cross the southeastern external European borders with Turkey, and have been illegally removed (pushed back). Interviewees came from Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia and Eritrea – prima facie, persons in need of international protection. Among them were many members of vulnerable groups, such as unaccompanied children, sick and elderly persons. The vast majority of those affected are Syrian refugees trying to enter Europe to seek international protection or to reunite with their families who live in Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom and various other European countries. Interviews were held in Greece, Germany and Turkey, where refugees have either finally managed to arrive or where they remain in limbo after having been allegedly pushed back by the Greek authorities. In Turkey, they are confronted by an ineffective refugee protection system, subjected to deploring living conditions and exposed to a series of other human rights violations. Furthermore, certain nationalities are exposed to the risk of refoulement. Therefore, Turkey cannot be considered a safe country for refugees. 2.1 | Key-Findings The findings of this report are drawn directly from eyewitness testimonies obtained in the context of PRO ASYL’s research during the last months. According to them: • Push-backs, as described in this report, are systematically carried out by the Greek authorities. Refugees are pushed back to Turkey: a) from the Greek territorial waters, kEY-fINDINGS | sUMMARY | IX