Two dozen NGO workers go on trial in Greece for assisting migrant boat arrivals

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Two dozen NGO workers go on trial in Greece for assisting migrant boat arrivals  Humanitarians say the case epitomises a broader European crackdown on individuals and organisations assisting migrants and asylum seekers.  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/12/04/two-dozen-ngo-workers-go-on-trial-in-greece-for-assisting-migrant-boat-arrivals  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

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00:00Two dozen humanitarian workers who participated in search and rescue operations on the Greek

00:06island of Lesbos from 2016 to 2021 have begun their long-awaited trial.

00:13During the peak of Europe's refugee crisis that started in 2015, Lesbos became a key

00:18entry point for asylum seekers who often made dangerous journeys on small boats to reach

00:23Europe.

00:24The accused face up to 20 years in prison for charges including alleged participation

00:30in a criminal organization, facilitating the entry of third-country nationals into Greece

00:36and money laundering.

00:37Greek authorities say the trial focuses on a border security issue, but human rights

00:43groups have condemned the accusations as a politicized crackdown on humanitarian workers.

00:48It comes after years of allegations that Greek authorities breached international and European

00:53laws in their response to the arrivals of refugees.

00:58In January, the European Court of Human Rights found that the Greek Coast Guard had conducted

01:03so-called pushbacks against potential asylum seekers, marking the first time a court officially

01:09acknowledged a practice Greece has long denied.

01:12Today, there are no NGOs conducting search and rescue operations or providing emergency response

01:18during landings on Lesbos, despite over 3,500 people arriving to the island so far this

01:25year, according to the UN's refugee agency.

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