Monthly Report on pushbacks
In January, the Border Violence Monitoring Network (BVMN) reported on 21 illegal pushbacks, affecting 684 people in total. This report summarises the latest trends in border policing and provides updates from across the Balkans on violence being perpetrated against people-on-the-move. Specifically, patterns in pushback practice are examined alongside several important court rulings and EU level developments.
As a network comprised of grassroots organisations active in Greece and the Western Balkans, this report was produced via a joint-effort between Are You Syrious, Mobile Info Team, No Name Kitchen, Rigardu, Josoor, Disinfaux Collective, InfoKolpa, Centre for Peace Studies, Re:ports Sarajevo, Mare Liberum, Collective Aid and Fresh Response.
This report analyses among other things:
- Practices at the Romanian border
- Lateral pushbacks to third countries
- Court rulings from Italy, Slovenia and Serbia
- Frontex leaving Hungary
- Geography of Evros/Meriç river pushbacks
The publication also looks in depth at the transit situation in the Balkans, analysing the conditions in camps, urban spaces, detention centres and border areas. When combined, these updates represent a crude and inhumane start to 2021, but one that is consistent with the violent border regimes that have defined recent years.
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