ATHENS, Greece: Greece has rebuffed accusations made in a BBC investigation alleging that its coast guard was responsible for the deaths of dozens of migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe.
The investigation, published on Monday, claimed that 43 migrants had died in the Aegean Sea between May 2020 and May 2023 after being intercepted and turned back by Greek coast guards. The BBC further alleged that nine of the deceased migrants were deliberately thrown overboard.
Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis refuted the claims, asserting that the reported allegations were unproven. Marinakis emphasized that the Greek coast guard is committed to saving human lives and conducts rescue operations on a daily basis.
Accusations of Greece conducting illegal operations to push back migrants attempting the perilous journey from Turkey’s western coast to the European Union have persisted over the years. Despite Greece’s denial of such practices, numerous investigations by international media outlets and rights groups have documented incidents of pushbacks, often supported by video evidence.
The BBC investigation examined 15 alleged pushback operations over a three-year period, sourcing information from local media, NGOs, the Turkish coast guard, and eyewitness testimonies. One eyewitness account detailed a harrowing incident in September 2021, where Greek police allegedly forced migrants onto a coast guard boat, subjected them to physical abuse, and then cast them into the sea. Tragically, only one of the three migrants survived, while the bodies of the other two washed up on the Turkish coast.
In response to the allegations, the European Union expressed awareness of the “terrible allegations” and emphasized the importance of Greek authorities adhering to obligations under asylum and international law. The Mediterranean route remains one of the world’s most perilous migration routes, with tens of thousands of migrants, primarily from Syria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, attempting to reach Greece annually.
The incident serves as a grim reminder of the dangers faced by migrants seeking refuge in Europe, with tragic outcomes such as the sinking of a migrant trawler off the Greek coast in 2023, resulting in over 600 fatalities. Survivors of the tragedy have filed a criminal complaint against the Greek coast guard, alleging delayed response despite prior warnings from EU border agency Frontex and NGO Alarm Phone.
