EU borders must be open to asylum seekers, top German diplomat says in Greece

ANKARA (AA) – The European Union’s borders must remain open to asylum seekers, Germany’s foreign minister said in Greece on Friday, a pointed remark that increases pressure on Athens over its widely criticized policy of deadly and illegal migrant pushbacks.

Annalena Baerbock’s remarks came at a joint press conference with her Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias in Athens, following a meeting that brought differences between Germany and Greece to the fore.

Baerbock seemed to build on views she expressed during her Thursday visit to a refugee camp and the office of the EU border agency Frontex, where she said it was critical for the EU to “ensure that human rights are guaranteed universally at borders,” according to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

German magazine Der Spiegel also published a damning report on Thursday about an investigation by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) that found Frontex deliberately and systematically cooperated with Greece in illegally pushing back asylum seekers to Turkish waters.

The investigation determined that Frontex, under its former executive director Fabrice Leggeri, who quit in April under pressure from the European lawmakers and rights groups, covered up illegal actions of Greek forces and lied to the European Parliament.

“We cannot turn a blind eye when our shared values are violated. If we look away, our European ideals will drown in the Mediterranean,” Baerbock warned.