By: Helena Smith| the guardian.com| 20 October 2021|
Syrian family sue EU border agency over removal from Greece
Five years to the day after a family of Syrian refugees were bundled on to a plane and deported to Turkey despite having lodged asylum claims in Greece, they are taking their case to the European court of justice.
In an unprecedented step, a Dutch firm of human rights lawyers announced on Wednesday that it had filed a lawsuit against Frontex, the EU border agency that operated the flight, and was seeking damages on behalf of the family.
“Frontex has acknowledged there were human rights violations,” said Lisa-Marie Komp, one of the lawyers at the Prakken d’Oliveira practice representing the family.
“It has accepted that the refugees never got the chance to have their asylum request processed.”She said it was crucial that the EU-funded agency was held accountable.
“If it is to be given such a far-reaching mandate, then there should be effective possibilities to hold it to account. And if that is not possible, what it will amount to is the undermining of the basic principle of rule of law.”