European court rules against Greece over migrant’s illegal deportation

Migrants walk to enter Greece from Turkey by crossing the Maritsa river near the Pazarkule border gate in Edirne, Turkey (Emrah Gurel/AP)

The European Court of Human Rights in a landmark ruling on Tuesday found that Greece illegally deported a woman back to neighbouring Turkey, and described the use of summary expulsions, or “pushbacks”, as systematic.

The decision could affect how Europe handles migrants at its borders, at a time when Greece and several European Union member states are seeking tougher immigration controls.