A/HRC/47/30 cases turned into mass apprehension and return of migrants without individual assessment of vulnerabilities and protection needs. The militarization of border patrols has mainstreamed a security-focused approach that increases the risk of human rights violations.33 55. Numerous submissions have raised concerns regarding Greece’s border governance at both its land and sea borders with Turkey. 34 Situated on the Eastern Mediterranean migration route, Greece deploys border and coastguard patrol teams as part of national and joint European Union border operations, in cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex).35 On top of an increased militarization of the Evros land border region since March 2020, which has effectively resulted in preventing entry and in the summary and collective expulsion of tens of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers, 36 the Special Rapporteur has received allegations that pushbacks over the land border are also reportedly carried out from urban areas, including reception and detention centres. 37 An increase in pushbacks in the Aegean Sea, from Greek territorial waters, as well as from the islands of Rhodes, Samos and Symi, has also been documented, with one stakeholder recording 321 incidents involving 9,798 migrants between March and December 2020. 38 56. Croatia has reportedly deployed a large number of police officers as well as technical devices for optical and radar monitoring of its borders with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, as a measure of deterrence. 39 Nevertheless, allegations of unlawful and violent pushbacks have been reported in connection with operations at borders and with removals from deep inside Croatian territory, and as part of chain pushbacks from Italy to Bosnia and Herzegovina.40 Between May 2019 and November 2020, one stakeholder recorded 22,500 pushbacks to Bosnia and Herzegovina,41 along with numerous reports by migrants of theft, extortion or destruction of property, physical abuse or assault, abusive or degrading treatment, including of children,42 and arbitrary arrest or detention, during those operations. A civil society organization has recorded instances of violent pushbacks against migrant children. 43 Croatian authorities have repeatedly prevented public scrutiny of border operations.44 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 A security-focused approach treats migrants as objects of surveillance and can have a dehumanizing effect, leading to increased acceptance of collective measures against them on the basis of representing a “threat” to sovereignty and national security. This process is exacerbated by the shift towards automation and the use of drones. See A/HRC/45/9, paras. 42–45. See the submissions by Amnesty International, the Association for the Social Support of Youth (ARSIS), the Border Violence Monitoring Network, the Danish Refugee Council, the Greek Council for Refugees, Human Rights 360, Human Rights Watch, Mare Liberum, Statewatch and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), among others, and the joint submission by the Irish Centre for Human Rights, the National University of Ireland Galway and the Global Legal Action Network. See the submission by Greece. The Special Rapporteur was informed that the Hellenic Coast Guard had, between 2015 and 2020, rescued over 319,000 migrants, and had applied detection and prevention measures in line with European Union law. National authorities and European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) agents followed a code of conduct, and accusations of ill-treatment, including as part of returns, were investigated. See GRC 1/2020, available at https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=25116, and the response by Greece, available at https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadFile?gId=35244. See the submissions by the Border Violence Monitoring Network and Human Rights Watch. Pushbacks to North Macedonia and Bulgaria have reportedly been carried out by Serbian police in a similar way; see the submission by KlikAktiv. Submission by Mare Liberum. Submission by Croatia. A/HRC/44/42/Add.2, paras. 64–68; and see the submission by the Border Violence Monitoring Network. Submission by the Danish Refugee Council. Submission by Save the Children. Ibid. See the statement made by the High Commissioner for Human Rights to the Human Rights Council at its forty-sixth session, available at www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?LangID=E&NewsID=26806. 9