From 27 to 31 October 2019, the Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, carried out an ad hoc visit to Greece, during which she assessed the reception conditions for asylum seekers and migrants, particularly on the Aegean islands. This visit followed up on her previous country visit of June 2018. She noted that the situation had dramatically worsened and that urgent measures were needed to address the desperate conditions of thousands on the islands. She called on the Greek authorities to take urgent measures to meet the vital needs of all asylum seekers and migrants, as well as staff and the local population, to avoid the risk of further tragic events. In particular, she pointed to the need to strengthen humanitarian assistance, including in the provision of health care. She welcomed the Greek government’s decision to transfer 20,000 migrants from the islands to the mainland by the end of the year and called for the urgent implementation of this measures. She also took note of the law passed by Parliament aimed at speeding up asylum procedures and returns, saying that it should not lead to more and longer detention, must ensure individual assessments of all asylum claims and provide effective remedies to rejections. The Commissioner also commended the financial support provided by the EU but underscored that more responsibility must be taken by member states by relocating people from Greece, in particular unaccompanied children and other vulnerable groups.

On 17 October 2019, the Commissioner issued a statement following news of continued transfers of migrants to the already overpopulated improvised camp in Vučjak. She called on the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina to relocate as a matter of urgency all migrants currently in the camp to facilities with adequate standards. On 8 November 2019, the Commissioner spoke to the Minister of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina about the situation. She welcomed the efforts to solve the situation and the Minister’s announcement that the camp would be closed and asylum seekers and migrants relocated to more humane and dignified conditions. They also discussed reports of violent pushbacks from Croatia and Serbia to Bosnia and Herzegovina, calling for an end to such practices and effective and independent investigations of all allegations of ill-treatment.