ATHENS, 09 October 2021, (TON): Greece said “it would investigate reports that some of its officials were illegally pushing back migrants at the border, a day after Brussels pressed it to look into the accusations.”

Several European media outlets reported this week that Greek and Croatian officials were illegally and sometimes violently pushing back migrants. The European Union’s executive called for an investigation.

Reuters has not independently verified the media reports.

Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said “he had told EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson that the claims would be investigated.”

He told reporters at an EU meeting in Luxembourg “every claim made is investigated by the judiciary and by our internal audit.”

Johansson earlier said “Croatia had promised to investigate the accusations and she had made it clear to Greece that it needed to do the same.”

She said “EU countries needed to protect the bloc’s external borders, but they also had to uphold values, the rule of law and fundamental rights.”