Special Report 2024 | Return of Third Country Nationals

The year 2024 marked the close of the first decade of operation of the national monitoring mechanism of forced returns of third country nationals. It is noted that the Ombudsman’s special competence was granted by a Joint Ministerial Decision in 2014, after the Return Directive was incorporated into Greek legis­lation with L. 3907/2011.

A brief account of the Ombudsman’s activities includes the monitoring of more than 100 return operations by air, 35 return operations by land, 76 coast­al readmission operations under the EU-Turkey Joint Declaration (2016-2020) and more than 65 inspections/on-site visits at Pre-Removal Detention Cen­tres (PROKEKA), Migration Management Departments and Police Stations, to monitor the detention conditions of third country nationals.