Border Pushbacks in Greece: Human Rights Violations and Psychological Impacts

The illegal practice of border pushbacks by sea along Greece’s borders has become standardised and normalised despite the severe human rights violations associated with it. Refugees and asylum seekers subjected to border pushbacks endure numerous forms of abuse, including physical, emotional, and verbal violence, which exacerbate the trauma from their perilous journeys in search of safety on European shores.

The study aimed to identify the psychological impact of border pushbacks on refugees and asylum seekers in Greece, analysing both the repercussions of these human rights violations and the insufficiencies of mental health support for people on the move. This study adopted a deductive qualitative approach, with a primary dataset comprising individual expert interviews based on non-probability sampling and a secondary additional dataset of 73 online pushback testimonies from people on the move in Greece in 2019 and 2020.

The findings confirmed that systematic neglect by Greek authorities of severe human rights violations during border pushbacks, coupled with inadequate psychological support services, has significantly harmed the psychological state of people on the move. Negative effects included heightened risks of psychological disorders such as anxiety, PTSD, and psychosis, alongside the resurfacing of past trauma from their difficult journeys. These experiences compounded existing trauma, creating new layers of distress and further exacerbating their vulnerability and fragility. Consequently, the persistent psychological challenges faced by refugees and asylum seekers in Greece contributed to a growing mental health crisis on the Greek islands and mainland.