Um auf die unerträglichen Zustände auf den griechischen Inseln für Geflüchtete, die vermehrt brutale Durchführung von Pushbacks und die dadurch entstehenden Menschenrechtsverletzungen in der Ägäis aufmerksam zu machen, starten wir eine Posterkampagne.

We spoke to people who were among the group of 24 refugees that landed at Katia in the south of Lesvos at around 1 a.m. on 10 November.

It is no secret that refugees are illegally pushed back at Europe's external borders. What Europe calls 'border protection' leads to human rights being disregarded and people being put in mortal danger—if not actually dying.

How the "New Pact on Migration and Asylum" further strengthens Fortress Europe and excludes humanity.

8521. This is the number of refugees that have been illegally pushed back while trying to cross the Aegean Sea since March 2020. Mare Liberum collected information on 266 pushbacks, but the actual number is most likely much higher.

When the fire destroyed Europe's biggest refugee camp Moria on September 8th, over 12000 people, were once again displaced and found themselves out on the streets.

While the situation inside the camps is still more than critical and will worsen significantly with the upcoming winter, Greece continues to perform illegal pushbacks to an extent that is beyond anything there has ever been before.

The Hellenic Coastguard is systematically performing brutal pushbacks to Turkey on a daily basis. Meanwhile, European states have failed to condemn these illegal practices.

Co-signed statement from Europe Must Act.

The situation in the camps on Kos and Leros is a bit different, since they are continuously “closed” camps by definition. As the camps and the islands hosting them are much smaller, there are fewer solidarity networks and very little information about the current situation.

In July 2020, the European Union granted an additional 500 million Euro to Turkey within the framework of the so-called "EU-Turkey Deal". Over 6 billion Euro have so far been paid to Turkey by the EU since the 2016 deal, whereby EU leaders persuaded the country to support them in “protecting their borders” by forcibly preventing a further influx of refugees.

On June 29th the Turkish Coast Guard picked up a dinghy in distress. The boat had reached Greek waters before but was stopped there by the Hellenic Coast Guard. Instead of rescuing the people from the absolutely unseaworthy dinghy as it would have been their duty, the Coast Guard took away their fuel and pushed the 40 people on board back to Turkish waters.

While bars, restaurants and hotels are anxiously awaiting the first tourists, refugee camps located on the Greek islands of the Aegean Sea today went into their 4rd round of lockdown lasting until the 5th of July.

Interview with Aziz from Afghanistan. We met Aziz in Moria. He spoke to us in German.

Pushback of 14 people documented who had reached the shores of Chios already.

After years of being completely left alone by the EU and being pushed to its breaking point and beyond by having to carry the burden of the European migration policy, far right groups and angry locals took control of the narrative.

Whereas containment measures are being put in place on the island of Lesvos, it is surprising that nothing is done for the island's focal point, Moria refugee camp, in case of a COVID-19 outbreak.

Today, March 11t h Mare Liberum finally moored in a port! The port authorities of Mytilene provided us a place, at least for one day, where they guarantee our safety.

Mare Liberum Annual Report 2019.

At dawn, when the first rays of light begin to reflect on the Aegean waters, Mare Liberum’s onboard radio continues to crackle, belching out numbers, coordinates and requests for Turkish Coast Guard (TCG) intervention from the European Coast Guards (ECGs).

The people of Afghanistan are under attack, and they have been for quite some time.

Despite the EU-Turkey deal, migrants continue to set out on the dangerous route to Europe with the aim of a future worth living. According to the NGO Aegean Boat Report 2.198 migrants reached the Greek islands between August 1 and 11.

Our interview partner is a Palestinian psychologist from Gaza. He left Gaza to come to Europe. Currently he lives living in the hotspot camp in Moria on Lesvos. Before he arrived on Lesvos, he was pulled back 12 times by the Turkish coast guard and once even pushed back by German Frontex.

A team from Mare Liberum recently travelled to Samos.

In den Hügeln nahe der griechischen Stadt Molyvos vermitteln zehntausende von Rettungswesten ein Bild davon, wie Migration an der europäischen Außengrenze aussieht. Fast alle davon sind so genannte "gefälschte Rettungswesten", die in der Türkei für rund 10 Euro verkauft werden.