#bvmn

This special report analyses data from 286 first hand testimonies of violent pushbacks carried out by authorities in the Balkans, looking at the way practices of torture have become an established part of contemporary border policing. The report examines six typologies of violence and torture that have been identified during pushbacks from Croatia and Greece, and also during chain-pushbacks initiated by North Macedonia, Slovenia and Italy. Across the report, 30 victim testimonies of torture and inhuman treatment are presented which is further supplemented by a comprehensive legal analysis and overview of the States response to these allegations.

The Border Violence Monitoring Network (BVMN) is a coalition of organisations documenting pushbacks and state violence in the Balkans, Greece and Turkey, since the formal closure of the migration route 5 years ago. In 2016, during the last Universal Periodic Review, 35 countries made recommendations to Greece regarding the protection of migrants and asylum seekers. Despite this, BVMN assert that the Greek government has failed its obligations under international law and has systematically rolled back protection granted to migrants and refugees.