The respondent, a 23-year-old Moroccan man, reported that he was apprehended in a small village  in North Macedonia in late December, having crossed the border between Greece and North Macedonia the night before.

*Disclaimer*

-The exact date of the incident described is not known. The respondent stated that it took place approximately 4-5 days before New Year.  Therefore, the date is referred to as simply ‘late December 2023’ in the narrative section of this report.

-The precise time of the incident described is not known. The respondent stated that it took place at night, and that he assessed that the time was probably at some point between 17.30-18.00

-The exact number of police officers involved is not known. However, the respondent detailed that there were 3 North Macedonian Police Officers involved in the first pushback incident (the apprehension that led to the pushback) and an unknown number of North Macedonian Police Officers the second time.    

Upon crossing the border, the respondent stated that he rested at the first village he arrived in, in North Macedonia. The respondent reported that he was apprehended the next day in what he described as “the second village”.

The respondent reported that he was apprehended by 3 officers who he identified as police, due to their arrival in a marked police car. The respondent recognised that they were speaking Macedonian and described that they treated him respectfully. Following this initial apprehension, the respondent reported that the police officers called another group of officers, which the respondent believed was for the purpose of taking him back to the border, as he had not stated a wish to claim asylum. He stated that 2 officers, who he described as “army officers” subsequently arrived in a 4X4 car and initiated the process of transporting him to the border.

The respondent reported that the two officers in what he described as dark green uniforms, treated him in a manner that he described as “disrespectfully”; including searching his belongings, searching the respondent’s body, attempting to steal money from him, forcing him to open his phone, destroying a power bank, confiscating belongings and inflicting physical violence.

In more detail, the respondent reported that at what he felt to be approximately 17.30-18.00, at the location  with the coordinates 41°07’21″N 22°29’26″E (on the border of North Macedonia and Greece, in the Region of Gevgelija, but not at the Vardar Border Post or the Bogorodica Crossing), the officers put him in a kneeling position.

At this point, he was reportedly asked to open his phone to show the officers the route he had taken;  the officers reportedly also asked him where he had obtained the points and the information about the route from. The respondent stated that it was at this point that one of the officers kicked him hard in his back, in order to make him open his phone. The kick was reportedly delivered with enough force to leave a painful, but temporary, injury and the respondent reported feeling scared.

The respondent further stated that one of the army officers attempted to take money from him, (but was prevented only by the other officer) and that his belongings were confiscated, which included his backpack with his clothes, food, power bank, charger and phone in it. The respondent reported that he felt strongly that the officers were insulting him in Macedonian.

Subsequent to these events and his transportation to the border, the respondent stated that he returned across the border to Greece, on his own, on foot. The respondent stated that at this point he was not forced with violence to do so, but he walked back himself, as he felt he had no other choice.

“I was told to return to Greece and never come back to Macedonia”.

Approximately fifteen to seventeen days after these incidents, the respondent reported that he was apprehended once again in North Macedonia and pushed back into Greece.

The respondent reported that he was apprehended in a park near to the bus station in Gevgelija (park – 41°08’33″N 22°30’37″E, bus station – 41°08’38″N 22°30’41″E).

The respondent stated that he had been planning to travel by bus with two women and had bought tickets for all three of the group. The respondent reported that as he and the two women tried to get on the bus (for which they had tickets), the driver refused him admission onto the bus.

The respondent reported that he was then apprehended by officers, who he believed to be police, while sitting in a park near to the bus station. The respondent stated that the officers questioned him repeatedly about the two women he was with and stated that they then called people who he described as “army officers” to the scene. The respondent believed that this was done to transport him away from the town to the border, in order to force him back into Greece.

The respondent reported that it was at this point that he noticed the bus station was very close to a police station and that there were cameras watching the bus station.

On being transferred to officers who he believed to be army officers, the respondent reported that he was then taken to the same location as the first pushback (41°07’21″N 22°29’26″E)   and was subjected to violence that he felt lasted for approximately ten to fifteen minutes.

The respondent reported that this incident involved 4 officers, who he believed to be army officers.

The respondent reported that he was repeatedly asked about where the women he was travelling with were, and he believed that the violence inflicted on him was due to his refusal to tell them where they were.

“I was beaten way way more than the first time”.  [..] “they made my back more soft than my tummy”.

“They were saying “Where are the women?” […] and they were very angry and they were beating me so badly this time”.

The respondent reported that three of the four officers were involved in inflicting violence and repeatedly asking him about the women.

In addition, during this incident, the respondent reported that the officers searched him, looked through his phone and confiscated all of his belongings. These were not returned to him after the incident.

 “This time they took everything including my phone”

Additionally, the respondent stated that although in this series of incidents, he did not notice drones being used, he reported that he had seen them in use at other times. He further shared that he has noticed other types of surveillance, such as cameras between two army camps  (41°07’44″N 22°30’19″E).  The respondent also shared a map with BVMN on which he had marked another camera on the road from the border towards Gevgelija (41°08’17″N 22°30’51″E).