In a post on Verfassungsblog, our research associates Isabel Kienzle and Melina Riemer comment on the European Court of Human Rights’ decisions on pushbacks (A.R.E. v. Greece and G.R.J. v. Greece), published at the beginning of 2025.
For the first time, the ECtHR expressly recognized the long-standing systematic practice of pushbacks at Greece’s land and sea borders. Both decisions—the judgment on the merits in A.R.E. v. Greece and the inadmissibility decision in G.R.J. v. Greece—were preceded by a joint hearing. Its evidentiary focus continues in the decisions themselves, each of which is predominantly shaped by questions of proof. The post critically examines the ECtHR’s establishment of the facts and concludes that the acknowledged systematic practice was insufficiently taken into account in setting the standard of proof and assessing the evidence.
You can find the post here: Feeble Recognition of a Systematic Pushback Practice – Verfassungsblog