Aid groups accused Athens of restricting services to those in the process of applying for asylum, leaving many without food.
Restrictive government decisions have cast thousands of refugees out of protective support services and are creating a hunger crisis.
Just under 18,000 refugees live in camps on the Greek mainland. More than half – 60 percent – have no access to food services or cash handouts. Almost half are children.
The EU executive has warned the Greek government that it must uphold the right to asylum.
Ylva Johansson, EU commissioner for home affairs, said she wanted to discuss a detention centre. Asylum seekers said Greek forces captured and beat them, before expelling them from Greece. They had no chance to speak to a lawyer or claim asylum.
The New York Times reported on Tuesday of “a black site” in north-eastern Greece where migrants are held without legal recourse before being expelled to Turkey.
A report by Amnesty International reported torture and ill-treatment cases.
Titled “Greece: Violence, lies, and pushbacks”, the report documented cases of pushbacks, on land and at sea.
The report called on the European Commission to launch infringement proceedings against Greece “for its violation of EU asylum and fundamental rights law.”
It is worth mentioning that denying people their right to apply for asylum is illegal under EU law and refugee treaties.
