On 16 September 2026, at its 1569th Human Rights meeting, the Committee of Ministers adopted decisions on the execution of A.R.E. v. Greece (Application no. 15783/21) and, jointly, the Muhammad group (Application no. 14606/20), H.A. and Others group (Application no. 4892/18) and A.R. and others v. Greece (Application no. 59841/19) v. Greece, concerning pushbacks, reception and detention conditions, and effective remedies.
In A.R.E., the Committee considered that Greece’s training and operational guidance did not yet appear adequate to address the systematic practice of pushbacks identified by the Court. It called for further steps to ensure genuine and effective access to international protection, stronger safeguards against pushbacks and prompt, impartial, thorough and effective investigations. It also requested information on remedies with automatic suspensive effect and safeguards during detention at borders. The Committee further requested the border monitoring mechanism to be independent, effective and adequately resourced.
In the joint decision, the Committee noted improvements in the reception facilities and the continued absence of overcrowding. However, it encouraged further efforts to address concerns about material conditions, particularly for vulnerable persons. It also requested information on the practical impact of legislation incorporating the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum on reception conditions and safeguards for vulnerable individuals.
Regarding detention, the Committee held that individuals subject to return are not to be held in police detention facilities and urged Greece to promptly transfer them to appropriate facilities, to improve conditions in pre-removal detention centres and ensure that detention in police facilities remains exceptional, strictly time-limited and in compliance with the Convention standards. It requested updated statistics, including the average length of detention in police facilities.
Finally, the Committee welcomed the new remedy under Law 5307/2026 for complaints about reception conditions and medical assistance. While the remedy appears capable of providing timely and enforceable redress, the Committee requested clarification and evidence of its accessibility and effectiveness in practice. Greece was invited to submit a consolidated action plan/report by 1 June 2027.