Greece turns hundreds of migrants back amid Aegean tensions
Greece says it prevented almost 600 migrants from entering its territory in the eastern Aegean Sea on Monday. Athens accuses Turkey of sending the boats deliberately towards its neighbor.
Greece says it prevented almost 600 migrants from entering its territory in the eastern Aegean Sea on Monday. Athens accuses Turkey of sending the boats deliberately towards its neighbor.
More than forty people were reportedly rescued from sinking boats off the Aegean island of Rhodes at the weekend. A blind girl was among the migrants in one inflatable dinghy.
A young Afghan man made to stand trial in Greece after his six-year-old son drowned during a sea crossing has been acquitted. Another man charged with driving the boat was given a suspended sentence.
The Greek coast guard said it rescued more than 100 migrants near the island of Kos in the Aegean Sea on Saturday, May 8. In total, 106 people were brought ashore, including 14 women and 20 children.
According to a joint investigation by Lighthouse Reports, several European broadcasters and news organizations, Frontex' very own records appear to show evidence of pushbacks in the Aegean, carried out by Greek authorities. The investigation has prompted Frontex chief Fabrice Leggeri to tender his resignation.
The Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) accused the Greek government of ignoring the needs of dozens of asylum seekers, who are stranded on the country's border with Turkey. This comes days after a woman was found shot dead in the same region, and a migrant boat is reported to be drifting off the island of Samos.
An investigation by Greece’s national transparency watchdog has found no basis for reports that Greek authorities have pushed back asylum seekers trying to enter the country from Turkey.
Thousands of Ukrainian refugees have entered Greece, where they enjoy international protection. For non-Ukrainian refugees, however, the situation remains tense and frustrating.
The Greek coast guard rescued 101 men who had set off by boat from the western coast of Turkey. The migrants – mostly from Afghanistan – were taken to the island of Leros.
Three senior officials at the EU border agency Frontex actively concealed illegal pushbacks of migrants and refugees, according to a report from the European Anti-Fraud Office OLAF.
The Greek coast guard said that six bodies of migrants were discovered on the north-eastern coast of Lesbos on Tuesday. There were no signs of a shipwreck.
Greece has denied media reports alleging that the country might be involved in pushbacks at sea. The government has accused its neighbor Turkey of deliberately spreading fake news.