European Commission launches infringement proceedings against Greece

The European Commission launched an infringement procedure against Greece about how they treat people arriving in Europe to seek asylum and the asylum process. This could result in the Commission taking Greece to court.  

Oxfam has been advocating for this for years due to Greece's systematic breaches of EU asylum law. This includes launching a joint legal complaint with other human rights groups. 

In response, Oxfam EU migration expert, Stephanie Pope, said:

“It’s a welcome step to see that the Commission is finally upholding its role as Guardian of the Treaties by taking action to hold Greece accountable for its human rights violations against refugees and asylum seekers. For years, we have seen how Greece’s deterrence policy results in people’s lives being put on hold in EU-funded ‘prison-like’ centers and unable to access the asylum system. But words on paper are not enough. We now expect concrete results from the EU and Greek authorities to end these rights violations.”