7 Building of the national headquarters of the Greek coastguard, Piraeus, October 2013 In the 2012 Hirsi Jamaa and others vs. Italy judgement,8 the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) confirmed the illegality of forced returns by sea (“push-backs”): no one can be sent back without their individual situation being examined (prohibition on collective expulsions) and no return can take place if the person is at risk of being subject to inhuman or degrading treatment. Yet, many recent reports have documented cases of boats of migrants being pushed back from Greek waters towards the Turkish border, often using violence. Techniques used to “dissuade” boats from entering Greek waters follow the same logic. 8 ECtHR, Hirsi Jamaa and Others vs.Italy (Application No. 27765/09), 23 February 2012.