Greece: 19 migrants ‘abandoned’ by smugglers

On Saturday evening (March 22), the Greek coast guard reported spotting “a suspicious speedboat with foreign passengers” moving towards the southeastern coast of Farmakonisi. According to a press release from the Hellenic Coast Guard, the operator of the boat “did not comply with the light and sound signals” from authorities.

“A pursuit ensued, during which the speedboat made dangerous maneuvers in order to escape,” the statement added.

As the speed boat was approaching the coast of Faramkonisi, the operator of the boat “deliberately threw three of the migrants into the sea, while the rest were forced to jump following intimidation.”

The coast guard stated the aim of this operation was for the “smuggler to escape immediately towards the opposite Turkish coast and avoid arrest.”

One man pronounced dead

Immediately after the incident, Greek authorities launched a search and rescue operation involving three patrol boats, one lifeboat, and an air force helicopter. Officers found 16 migrants on land and three in the sea. The three in the sea, a man and two minors were “unconscious” when the officers found them. First aid was provided to all three, and the two minors regained consciousness following treatment, but the man was later pronounced dead at hospital.

The two rescued minors, along with another minor and their mother were transported to the larger neighboring island of Leros where they were admitted to hospital, and then later airlifted to a bigger children’s hospital in Athens (Panagiotis and Aglaia Kyriakou Children’s Hospital).

The remaining migrants, who were of Afghan origin according to the French news agency Agence France Presse (AFP), were taken to the port of Agia Marina, stated the coast guard, and transported from there to the closed controlled structure on Leros. No other people were missing, but two vessels, including a boat provided by Frontex, continued to search the area.

An investigation has been opened into the incident by the Leros port authority.

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Deaths in the eastern Mediterranean

So far this year, 34 migrants are recorded to have died on the eastern Mediterranean route according to the UN Migration Agency IOM’s Missing Migrants project. Eighteen of those deaths occurred in the month of March. The cause of death is drowning in 33 cases; one is still unknown.

In 2024, 175 are recorded to have died on the same route by the IOM. Of these, 164 died by drowning, five because of “harsh environmental conditions, lack of adequate shelter, food or water,” five by “violence” and one in a vehicle accident, or death “linked to hazardous transport.” The IOM reported that 28 of the victims were children.

The latest recorded incident occurred on March 17 off the island of Cyprus, when at least 18 people are believed to have died, although only seven bodies were recovered and 11 others are believed to still be missing, but not found. The boat, which had set off from Syria, was carrying migrants believed to be from “Western Asia”, better known as the Middle Eastern region, including countries like Syria and Lebanon, as well as the Gulf States, Iran and Iraq.

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