Wed 12 May 2021 10.04 EDT Last modified on Wed 12 May 2021 23.28 EDT Informal cooperation between states has prevented thousands of women, men and children from seeking protection in Europe this year, according to a report released by nine human rights organisations. The Protecting Rights at Borders (Prab) initiative has recorded 2,162 cases of âpushbacksâ at different borders in Italy, Greece, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Hungary carried out on the basis of bilateral agreements between countries, which resulted in them circumventing their responsibilities and pushing unwanted groups back outside the EU. The report comes as Greece was also singled out for criticism on Wednesday with Europeâs top human rights watchdog urging a halt to the practice of pushing back migrants at the land and sea borders it shares with Turkey.