Criminalising Migration in Greece: State and Media Reporting ( Part One of Two)
This two-part blog considers the increasing criminalisation of migration in Greece from the dual perspectives of state and media reporting.
The criminalisation of people on the move is widespread in Greece. A key aspect of this practice involves Greek authorities arresting and accusing people on the move who steer boats -and other vehicles- of ‘smuggling’ under the guise of facilitating illegal entry.
According to a report by the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM), Greece recorded the second highest number of criminalisation cases of people on the move in the EU in 2023. The harsh and broad Greek ‘anti-smuggling’ law, which associates anyone who steers a boat with charges of facilitating illegal entry, means that a large number of people on the move - even minors - face extremely lengthy prison sentences. Those accused or convicted of facilitating illegal entry made up the second-largest prison population in Greece at the end of 2023, with about 90% being third country nationals.
One of the most well-known cases of this phenomenon is the ‘Pylos 9’ trial, which followed one of the deadliest shipwrecks in the Mediterranean. On 14 June 2023, more than 600 people drowned after the boat Adriana capsized near the Greek city of Pylos. Of the 104 survivors, 9 Egyptian men were accused by the Greek state of “smuggling and illegal entry”. Despite the evidence pointing towards the Greek state’s liability for the boat’s capsizing, the public eye soon shifted towards the men accused as ‘smugglers’. Nearly a year later, during which the 9 men were held in prison, all charges against them were dropped and they were finally acquitted.
This type of criminalisation seems to be systematic and deeply rooted within Greek institutions. While this phenomenon has been highlighted by some international media outlets, it has and continues to receive limited attention in Greek media, which often reproduce the narrative from the perspective of the Hellenic Coast Guard.
So, let’s first explain what the state narrative is.
The use of criminal charges against people on the move reaching Greece is far from being the only measure used by the state to try to shape public opinion. The language used by the Hellenic Coast Guard when referring to search and rescue operations at sea or on shore is deliberately alarming and often dehumanising. Language matters, and in this context it is also a sign of the institutional culture towards people on the move.
Words like ‘smuggler’, ‘foreigner’, ‘arrest’ and ‘boat pursuit’ are extensively used by the Hellenic Coast Guard when publicly reporting on search and rescue operations, framing arrivals as dangerous and criminal.
Search and rescue operations or a fight against smuggling?
A review of the Hellenic Coast Guard’s news page from September 2023 to September 2024, reveals a shift in the language used to describe incidents in which people on the move were located (either at sea, or having just reached the shore). Between January and September 2024, the proportion of incidents in which the term ‘smuggler’ appeared in the title more than doubled compared to the last four months of 2023, while the use of the term ‘rescue’ in titles dropped to nearly half. Some of those reports do not even mention rescues in their titles, focusing solely on the pursuit of ‘smugglers’.
The increased use of this word in contrast to ‘rescue’ in the titles of the 2024 news reports suggests a shift in the framing of such operations compared to the previously analysed period of 2023 (September-December), emphasising criminality. Operations are increasingly framed as efforts to combat ‘smuggling’ rather than rescue missions. This is further reflected in the Hellenic Coast Guard’s recent news titles, which have more frequently emphasised ‘boat pursuits’, contributing to a more violent and dangerous narrative.
To complete this narrative, one can also notice the increased use of the term ‘foreigner’ -either accompanying the word ‘smuggler’ or simply used when referring to third country nationals on the move. The othering of people on the move reinforces the perception of an incoming threat.
6/6/2024 news reporting on Hellenic Coast Guard official web page
While it is difficult to directly link the language change to a rise in border violence, in the summer of 2024 at least three reports became public in which the Hellenic Coast Guard fired at boats carrying people on the move. As a result, one person was killed and one was seriously injured by bullets. Though this practice isn't entirely new, there has been a noticeable escalation in the frequency and/or visibility of such events during the past summer.
While the general public may not directly follow the Coast Guard's news page, the institutional language used signals the political stance and reveals how people on the move are treated by this state actor. Investigating whether this language is echoed by other influential societal channels can help us better understand how public perception on migration is shaped in Greece.
Part 2 of this series will examine how this summer’s 3 violent incidents at sea were reported by major Greek news outlets. Do news reporters in Greece adhere to the journalistic ethic of objectivity, or do they simply echo the state’s narrative without digging deeper for the truth?
Part two of this blog will follow next week.
Words and research by Maria Kalochristianaki