Equal Rights Beyond Borders

The German authorities seek to transfer recognized refugees to Greece. A new legal opinion by Equal Rights Beyond Borders shows: this is unlawful.
EU law and the European Convention on Human Rights prohibit transfers where serious human rights violations threaten — and that is exactly what the legal opinion documents for Greece: homelessness on return, inaccessible documents, no integration support, and single women facing double discrimination and risk of violence.
This applies under the new Common European Asylum System too. The legal framework changes — the obligation to protect does not.

📄 Read the full legal opinion → Link in bio

Note: A previous version of this post was deleted due to inaccuracies and has been corrected here.

On the night of 3 February 2026, a deadly incident occurred near the Greek coast involving a boat carrying around 40 people on the move and a vessel of the Hellenic Coast Guard. Under circumstances that remain unclear, people ended up in the sea.

Fifteen people lost their lives. Twenty five others were seriously injured, many of them children.

According to official figures, fourteen people were recovered dead from the sea, while one woman later died as a result of her injuries. The General Hospital in Chios received twenty five injured people on the move, including men, women and children, as well as two coast guard officers. Despite severe staff shortages, hospital staff made every effort to respond.

Greece is bound by international, European Union and domestic law to provide assistance to boats in distress at sea, regardless of the nationality or status of those on board. The practices reported in this case raise serious concerns regarding compliance with these obligations and the protection of fundamental human rights. Similar concerns have been raised following previous shipwrecks in Farmakonisi, Pylos and Chios.

Deaths at sea are closely linked to deterrence and pushback policies implemented by Greece and supported at the European level, accountability should not be just an option.

Public authorities issued conclusions before an independent investigation had been carried out. Testimonies from survivors and hospital staff raise questions about the official narrative.

Equal Rights joins civil society organisations in calling for a thorough and independent investigation into the deadly shipwreck, without obstruction. We stand with the survivors and call on the state to ensure humane accommodation, access to psychosocial support and unhindered access to legal assistance.