Tragic incident claims lives of four migrants in boat sinking near Greek island of Lesbos

Tuesday August 29, 2023

According to Greek authorities, four migrants and refugees lost their lives while 18 others were rescued after their boat capsized near the Greek island of Lesbos.

The Hellenic Coast Guard stated that a patrol discovered 22 individuals in the Aegean Sea, with four of them unfortunately being found deceased.

The survivors were transported to Mytilene, the primary city on Lesbos.

No official information has been released regarding the nationalities or condition of the rescued individuals.

However, local media reports suggest that Yemenis, Palestinians, and Somalis are among the survivors.

Greece has been a frequently chosen entry point into Europe for individuals escaping conflicts and poverty in Africa and Asia.

So far this year, more than 15,000 people have arrived in Greece by sea and land, according to the United Nations.

Authorities in Athens have faced substantial criticism for their handling of asylum applications.

In June, a distressed fishing trawler carrying an estimated 500-750 people from Libya to Italy sank in international waters off southwestern Greece.

Only 104 survivors were found, prompting investigations into the Greek government and coast guard’s slow response in rescuing refugee boats.

Since the 2015 refugee crisis in Europe, when nearly one million people entered Greece with hopes of moving to wealthier European countries, the Greek government has implemented stricter border policies.

While the government attributes the recent increase in migrant and refugee arrivals to favorable summer weather and smugglers exploiting the situation, humanitarian organizations and search-and-rescue groups claim that Athens’s tough stance amounts to illegal pushbacks of potential asylum seekers at sea.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES