Greek border guards reportedly attacked a group of Syrian migrants who managed to cross the Evros River bordering Greece. The alarming incident was captured on video and shared by Unified Rescue Group (URG), a group dedicated to addressing migrant issues.
The video highlights the guards’ aggressive pushback of the migrants who reached the Greek side of the river from Turkey. It shows individuals, allegedly Greek border guards in civilian attire, attacking a group of Syrian migrants aboard a rubber boat.
The footage captures moments of a violent attack, with two individuals brutally beating one person. This caused several passengers to risk the dangerous river crossing alone, fearing further physical abuse.
Later in the video, all passengers are seen returning across the river to their point of origin, after the alleged guards commandeered the boat and pulled it to the Greek side.
Commenting on the incident, the URG shared a picture of a pregnant woman who was among the passengers. They stated that Turkish border guards had returned the migrants back to a Greek island in the river, transforming the migrants into a pawn in the hands of Turkey, Greece, and smugglers.
This comes just days after migrants discovered the bodies of four Syrians who had drowned in the Evros River while attempting to make their way to Europe via Greece.
The URG reported allegations from migrants stranded in the river that mercenaries working with the Greek border guards had tied up and drowned the four Syrian migrants.
This disturbing incident highlights the life-threatening risks migrants are facing. The International Organization for Migration documented over 3,800 individuals who lost their lives in 2022 while trying to reach European Union countries through Turkey and Arab nations.
The brutality of this recent attack on Syrian migrants has amplified the urgency to address the migrant crisis, advocating for safer passage and a humane approach to immigration and asylum policies.
