The European Commission has formally asked Greece to investigate a New York Times report based on exclusive footage showing the country’s Coast Guard abandoning migrants in the Aegean Sea last month. The Times verified the footage, taken on the Greek island of Lesbos on April 11, using a range of tools including metadata analysis and geolocation. The European Commission has the power to open a so-called “infringement procedure” against Greece, the formal process under which the E.U. punishes members that violate its rules. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis recently defended his migration policies as “tough but fair” and Greek voters appear to be largely unmoved by the alleged violations. The European Commission is relying on the Greek authorities to investigate and verify the Times findings before they can take action.
Categories