ATHENS: A Greek coastguard patrol boat made a grim discovery on Tuesday as it rescued 15 migrants, tragically finding one fatality, on the remote Aegean island of Farmakonisi, port police reports said.
Of the 15 individuals rescued, comprising five men, six women, and three children, all have been safely transferred to the nearby island of Leros. An inquiry has been initiated to determine the circumstances surrounding the tragic death, as authorities seek to ascertain the cause.
A spokesperson for the port police revealed, “According to the migrants, they are all Afghan nationals.”
Farmakonisi, like several other islands scattered across the Aegean Sea in proximity to the Turkish coastline, serves as a critical transit point for numerous migrants striving to reach Europe.
In an ongoing effort to manage the situation, Greek port police, with assistance from the European border agency Frontex, routinely conduct patrols in the area and execute daily operations to aid migrant vessels facing distress.
Migrants Influx into Europe
This perilous stretch of sea has witnessed a series of boat capsizing, and Greece has faced recurring allegations of “illegal expulsions,” accusations vehemently refuted by the country.
Tragically, Farmakonisi was the site of a catastrophic incident in 2014 when a migrant boat capsized, resulting in the loss of eleven lives, including eight children. In 2022, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled against Greece in connection to this disaster.
The ECHR upheld the migrants’ claims that a coastguard vessel had been operating at high speeds in an attempt to repel the refugees back towards Turkish waters, ultimately causing the vessel to capsize.
Official statistics indicate that in the first eight months of 2023, a total of 10,790 migrants and refugees arrived in Greece, marking a significant increase compared to the 5,216 arrivals recorded during the same period in the previous year. The surge highlights the continued challenges and complexities associated with migration in the region.
