Europe's border security agency Frontex was complicit in an illegal operation to stop asylum seekers crossing the Aegean Sea by boat from Turkey to Greece, according to an investigation by a media consortium.
A video from June 8 showed a Frontex vessel blocking a small refugee boat north-east of the Greek island of Lesbos before it returned to Turkish waters where 47 people were picked up. The vessel also appeared to pass dangerously close to the dinghy, creating a wave, according to the investigation.
Experts said the incident - known as a ‘pushback’ - appeared to be illegal and violated a ban on the forcible return of refugees or asylum seekers to countries where they could face persecution. The tactic sometimes involves boats blocking dinghies until they run out of fuel and are pushed back into Turkish territorial waters.
The incident was one of six cited by the group where Frontex should have been aware that Greek officials were involved in pushing back refugees, said the group, which included Germany's Der Spiegel. It said the June 8 incident was the only one where Frontex was actively involved.
Dana Schmalz, an international law expert at the Max Planck Institute in Heidelberg, told investigative journalism website Bellingcat, that if Frontex did not pick up the migrants and "then let the Greeks do the dirty work – then they are involved in the illegal pushback".
German public broadcaster ARD, journalist collective Lighthouse Reports, and Japanese broadcaster TV Asahi were involved in the investigation alongside Der Spiegel and Bellingcat. The journalists say they compared "dozens" of videos, also checking satellite imagery and eyewitness accounts from both refugees and Frontex workers.
Der Spiegel said that more than 600 people from the European border agency equipped with boats, drones and aircraft are deployed in Greece, where many migrants first enter the EU.
It added that Frontex would not comment on the individual cases uncovered by the investigation, but referred to a human rights and code of conduct supposed to bind staff.
The agency posted on Twitter on Friday that its actions in support of the Greek authorities were "in full respect of fundamental rights and international law," adding that it "has been in contact with the Greek authorities about some incidents at sea in recent months".
Athens had launched an "internal inquiry," it added.
Greece's conservative government has always rejected claims of illegal pushbacks taking place at its borders, regularly alleged by several charities.
“Our country protects its borders with an absolute respect for international law,” Greek Immigration Minister Notis Mitarakis said on Saturday.
The investigation followed controversy earlier this year involving Greek guards at the land border with Turkey. A Pakistani migrant was fatally shot at the border in March when thousands of people were barred entry to the European Union.
The dead man, identified as Muhammad Gulzar, was one of seven people shot during chaotic scenes after Greek soldiers, backed by the European Union, used tear gas to repel the migrants from a border fence between the two countries.
Athens initially claimed the fatal shooting was "fake news" invented by the Turkish authorities, but an investigation by Bellingcat and other groups concluded that Greek soldiers probably fired the fatal shot.
The government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan orchestrated the mass movement after opening its borders on February 27 and bussing migrants to areas close to the border.
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Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
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0-100kph in 2.4seconds
0-200kph in 5.8 seconds
0-300kph in 12.1 seconds
Top speed: 440kph
Price: Dh13,200,000
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,500hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.3 seconds
0-200kph in 5.5 seconds
0-300kph in 11.8 seconds
Top speed: 350kph
Price: Dh13,600,000
The nine articles of the 50-Year Charter
1. Dubai silk road
2. A geo-economic map for Dubai
3. First virtual commercial city
4. A central education file for every citizen
5. A doctor to every citizen
6. Free economic and creative zones in universities
7. Self-sufficiency in Dubai homes
8. Co-operative companies in various sectors
9: Annual growth in philanthropy
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
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Price, as tested: Dh255,150 (X2); Dh383,250 (X3)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder (X2); 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder (X3)
Power 192hp @ 5,000rpm (X2); 355hp @ 5,500rpm (X3)
Torque: 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (X2); 500Nm @ 1,520rpm (X3)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic (X2); Eight-speed automatic (X3)
Fuel consumption, combined: 5.7L / 100km (X2); 8.3L / 100km (X3)
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 4 (Salah (pen 4, 33', & pen 88', Van Dijk (20')
Leeds United 3 (Harrison 12', Bamford 30', Klich 66')
Man of the match Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
