The complainants, two non-governmental organisations, raised concerns with the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) about potential fundamental rights violations in its activities in Greece, notably regarding interviews with asylum seekers on the island of Samos. The complainants were also more broadly concerned with how the EUAA addresses and investigates allegations of fundamental rights violations committed by its staff or by the staff of the national authorities in host Member States where it carries out operations.

The Ombudsman found that the EUAA had failed to ensure caseworkers deployed in its asylum support teams were properly prepared to conduct interviews with vulnerable asylum seekers. She further noted that the EUAA had failed to provide vulnerable asylum seekers with an appropriate procedure to report mistakes made during interviews and to have such reports reviewed by the EUAA. As a result, the Ombudsman found maladministration and made four recommendations to the EUAA to address the shortcomings.

The Ombudsman also identified important shortcomings in relation to how the EUAA dealt with asylum seekers’ disclosure of experiences of pushbacks during interviews. However, as the EUAA had started implementing measures to remedy these during the inquiry, the Ombudsman did not find maladministration but instead made two suggestions for improvement.