Επαναπροώθηση ΛΣ-ΕΛΑΚΤ Αιγαίο 26/03/2020

Date of incident: 26-3-2020
Location: Aegean Sea
Law enforcement involved: Hellenic Coast Guards
Number of people pushed back: 21
Nationalities: –
How many had documents for sure: –
Demographics (women, children, etc): 5 women, 12 children
Method of expulsion: Put on life raft by HCG, left adrift on the sea.
Documenting organisation: Aegean Boat Report
Description: Put on life raft by HCG, left adrift on the sea.
Documents : https://www.facebook.com/AegeanBoatReport/posts/805700453286394

Aegean Boat Report

6 Απριλίου

Illegal deportations and pushbacks to Turkey, ordered by Greek government, executed by the Greek coast guard.

While the eyes of the world are occupied with the COVID-19 pandemic, Greek government seems to be taking advantage of the situation, a new tactic to tackle flows towards the Greek Aegean islands has been implemented.

In the last weeks at least nine incidents of people being found drifting in the sea, in life rafts without propellant, has been reported by Turkish coast guard. This could easily have been disregarded as Turkish propaganda, if it hadn’t been for the evidence from Samos.

April 1th at 08.00 a boat landed on Mourtia Beach, Samos east, carrying approximately 25 people. There were several people on the beach this morning witnessing the landing, pictures and videos was taken. Port police was called by a person on site, later port police denied to have received any information on such incident, and that no new arrivals had been reported on Samos.

Witnesses reports that two boats from HCG arrived in Mourtia bay after the landing, the refugees was taken on one of the boats from port police, boat took off heading south east. A picture taken by a local journalist shows that two boats from HCG was in fact in Mourtia bay this morning, but port police denies that any of their vessels was in the area this morning.

The last boat that landed in Mourtia beach was February 19th, nevertheless later this very day people who walks on this beach every day, found a rubber boat, engine, a fuel tank and clothes that wasn’t there the day before. Port police told people who contacted them about this that there had been no arrivals, and that they should remember that it was April fools day.

Turkish Coast guard picked up 26 people 13.30 this same day, in a life raft that had drifted towards Aydin national park, 10 children, 6 women and 10 men. According to the statement from the passengers, obtained by TCG, they claimed that they had crossed to the island of Samos; were later rounded up by the Greek Coast guard, put on a life raft, and dragged to Turkish waters.

Pictures taken by locals from Mourtia Beach, compared to pictures taken by Turkish coast guard leaves no doubt, people photographed on Samos is the same that TCG found drifting in a raft outside Aydin national park. When we also take in account the statements from locals regarding this landing, the evidence is overwhelming.

If this had been a isolated incident, this could have been a HCG crew taking things in their own hands, but it’s not. Nine known cases in the last two weeks, from Simi in the south to Lesvos in the north, shows that this is not an isolated incident, this is boat crews acting on orders from the top.

March 23th, 31 people was picked up outside Datça (11 children, 4 women and 16 men). They claimed to have landed on Simi island, rounded up by port police and put in a life raft.

March 26th, 21 people was picked up outside Çrsme (12 children, 5 women and 4 men) They claimed to have been placed in a life raft by HCG and left drifting in the sea.

March 27th, 10 people found in a life raft outside Datça (5 children, 2 women and 3 men) They claimed to have been placed in a life raft by HCG and left drifting in the sea.

March 28th, 9 people was found in a life raft outside Didim (3 children, 2 women and 4 men) They claimed to have been placed in a life raft by HCG and left drifting in the sea.

March 29th, 18 people was found in a life raft outside Datça (7 children, 4 women and 7 men) They claimed to have been placed in a life raft by HCG and left drifting in the sea.

6# & 7#

March 31th, 39 people was picked up from two different life rafts drifting outside Dikili (7 children, 12 women and 20 men) They claimed to have been placed in a life raft by HCG and left drifting in the sea.

April 1th, 26 people was picked up outside Aydin national park (10 children, 6 women and 10 men) They claimed to have landed on Samos, rounded up and left in the sea in a life raft.

April 4th, 15 people was found outside Ayvacik (6 children, 5 women and 4 men) They claimed to have been placed in a life raft by HCG and left drifting in the sea.

A total of 169 people from nine different incidents claims to have been put in life rafts, by the Greek coast guard, and left helpless in the sea the last two weeks alone. In addition there are many people in rubber boats that claims to have been pushed back by HCG. So when Greek government talks highly about their success on halting arrivals to the Greek islands, that their measures are successful, this is how they achieved it, by breaking international laws and violating human rights.

The Greek government is counting on that everyone is focusing on the battle against this virus, that they can do whatever they want without consequences, that Europe will look the other way. Hopefully Greek and international news will pick this up, demanding answer, someone needs to be held accountable. Even in times of crisis, we must stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves.

“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing” (Albert Einstein)