Greek police have been accused of secretly hiring masked migrants as “mercenaries” to carry out violent pushbacks of illegal arrivals across the Evros River border into Turkey, according to a major BBC investigation that has exposed six years of alleged abuses.
BBC Footage Shows Mercenaries Storming Migrant Groups
Disturbing video captured a gang of masked men, reportedly from Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan, storming through crowds of worried migrants near the Evros River. The group shouted at children and adults while brandishing weapons and herding them back across the border into Turkey.
The BBC investigation uncovered internal Greek police documents claiming top officers have been using these “migrant mercenaries” since 2020 in exchange for cash and mobile phones — often stolen from the very people they are expelling.
Alleged Brutality and Human Rights Violations
The mercenaries are said to rob, attack and sexually assault the migrants they are pushing back. Victims have reported being beaten with sticks, strip-searched for cash and subjected to death and rape threats. Some groups of up to hundreds of migrants are forced back each week.
Such pushbacks are illegal under international, European and human rights law, yet a policing insider told the BBC: “There is no soldier, police officer or Frontex officer serving here in Evros who does not know that pushbacks are taking place.”
- Footage from June 2023 assessed by Frontex’s Fundamental Rights Office
- Between 10 and 20 “third country nationals” under Greek police control
- Migrants subjected to physical and verbal abuse plus intrusive body searches
- Some migrants claim they were forced into rubber dinghies and sent back across the river
Greek Government Response and Six-Year Operation
The Greek Prime Minister has insisted he was “totally unaware” of the claims. However, the BBC investigation suggests the practice has been ongoing for six years and forms part of a wider strategy to control the land border with Turkey.
Two Syrian migrants told the BBC they were forced back in 2025, made to surrender phones and IDs, then driven to the border with around 20 others and herded by sticks. Another migrant claimed he was strip-searched for cash by the masked group.
Greece as Gateway to Europe and the UK
Since 2015 more than one million illegal migrants have crossed into Greece, many treating the country as the main route into the rest of Europe, including France, Germany and Britain. The Evros River border remains one of the busiest illegal crossing points.
Greek officers have denied finding any of the migrants shown in the 2023 footage in that area on that day, despite the clear evidence captured on camera.
Broader European Migrant Crisis Context
The revelations come amid ongoing chaos on Europe’s southern borders. Greece has faced intense pressure to stem the flow of illegal migration while balancing its obligations under EU and international law.
Critics argue that outsourcing border control to unaccountable “mercenaries” who then rob and assault migrants only worsens the humanitarian situation and undermines the rule of law.
Reform UK and other voices in Britain have repeatedly warned that weak border enforcement across Europe directly fuels the small boat crisis in the English Channel.
What This Means for Britain
While the story centres on the Greece-Turkey border, the route through Greece remains a key gateway for those heading to the UK. Any breakdown in border control in southern Europe inevitably increases pressure on Britain’s own borders.
The allegations highlight the desperate measures some EU nations are reportedly taking to manage mass illegal migration — and the human cost involved when official forces allegedly hand power to criminal elements.
With the UK continuing to receive thousands of small boat arrivals each year, the Greek scandal serves as a stark reminder of how chaotic and dangerous Europe’s migration routes have become.
Share if you believe stronger, lawful border control is urgently needed across Europe to stop this chaos.
This article is a factual summary of reporting by GB News and the BBC investigation. Full original story available on their websites. All quotes and details directly attributed.
Discover more from Breaking Brexit News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
