Abstract
The primary objective of this Master’s thesis has been the examination of both the Greek asylum system and the wider European framework in the light of the EU-Turkey Statement and its compatibility with international law. After having analyzed the comprehensive body of human rights norms, in particular the principle of non-refoulement, I have shed light on the deficiencies of the EU policies with regards to the refugee ‘crisis’. The main findings of the research highlight existing loopholes, normative ambiguities and lack of due diligence on part of the European states, with Greece being the special focus of the study, all of which affectively negate the right to seek asylum. The paper may, therefore, be considered to be a timely contribution to an ongoing discussion regarding not just bureaucratic failures of the EU institutions, but the impact of its legal regimes, which have been manifested, among others, in the politicization of law and erosion of the human rights protection.