A heart-wrenching incident unfolded on Monday as Greek authorities confirmed the loss of four lives and the rescue of 18 survivors after a boat ferrying migrants reportedly sank in the waters northeast of Lesbos, a Greek island situated near the Turkish coastline.
The nation’s coast guard swiftly initiated rescue operations, managing to retrieve the 18 survivors along with four individuals found unconscious. The survivors were subsequently transported to the island’s principal port, Mytilene.
Over the preceding weekend, the coast guard had been actively engaged in rescuing numerous individuals from boats adrift in the waters of the eastern Aegean Sea islands. This upswing in new arrivals has been notably evident over the past two months, reflecting an increased migration flow. Greece, for decades, has been a favored entry point into the European Union for those fleeing conflict or destitution in regions such as the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, in pursuit of a better life within Europe.
As per the United Nations’ data, over 14,000 people have reached Greece by sea and land routes thus far in the current year. In contrast, Italy received approximately 104,000 migrants through similar routes, constituting the majority of successful Mediterranean crossings. Throughout 2022, Greece recorded around 19,000 arrivals.
Recalling a tragic incident from June, a weathered fishing trawler with an estimated 500 to 750 individuals on board capsized in international waters near southwestern Greece while en route from Libya to Italy. The devastating outcome saw a mere 104 survivors, prompting significant criticism of Greek authorities for perceived delays in evacuating the vessel.
Authorities attribute the recent surge in migrant crossings to improved summer weather conditions and human traffickers capitalizing on heightened Aegean small boat traffic during the tourist season. In response to Europe’s 2015 migration crisis, Greece fortified its patrols along sea and land borders with Turkey, seeking to stem the inflow of migrants aiming to progress northward to more prosperous European nations.
Nevertheless, concerns about human rights and treatment of migrants have persisted. Accusations of illegal summary deportations, preventing individuals from applying for asylum, have been vehemently denied by the government, even as these assertions continue to be voiced by human rights organizations and migrants themselves.
