European Parliament member lashes out at Greece's treatment of refugees

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has faced criticism over his country's attitude towards asylum seekers.

Mitsotakis, who attended a European Parliament session on July 5, was reminded by a Dutch politician that "covering up evidence of pushbacks won’t work".

"When asylum seekers try to enter Europe from your country, these people's rights are ruthlessly violated and (they are) pushed back to Turkish soil...," European Parliament member Tineke Strik told Mitsotakis in a scathing speech. “Is this Europe?” she added.

According to her Twitter account, Strik also said: "Evidence is recorded by UN bodies, NGOs and investigative journalists. European judges refuse to accept a reality that violates core EU values.”

Human rights groups and leading media outlets have frequently reported on illegal pushbacks and other human rights breaches by Greek authorities.

Only on Thursday, the European Court of Human Rights ruled against Greece in a landmark case concerning the 2014 sinking of a refugee boat in the Aegean Sea.