Greece: Four migrants found dead off Lesbos
Source: InfoMigrants: reliable and verified news for migrants – InfoMigrants
Four migrants have died after their boat suffered shipwreck off the Greek island of Lesbos. Meanwhile, 34 people were found safe ashore in the south of the island following this latest tragedy in the Aegean Sea.
Initial reports indicate that there were at total of 38 people on the boat, allowing for search-and-rescue teams to be called off after a full count including the four victims.
“The four bodies were discovered off the Gulf of Gera on Lesbos while 34 people were discovered on the coast nearby,” a police spokesperson said.
The Associated Press (AP) reported that the deceased include two women, a man and a girl.
According to the Greek ANA news agency, the migrant boat had run aground near the coast and began to sink amid waves reaching up to 1.5 meters in height.
A coastguard official said that at least three vessels and one helicopter assisted in the operation.
The circumstances of the incident were unclear, and identification procedures of both the victims and the survivors were still ongoing, authorities added.
Most of the survivors are believed to come from African countries; they were all taken to a reception center on Lesbos.
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Aegean crossing attempts continue
Despite many measures introduced to combat irregular migration over the years, the Greek island of Lesbos remains a main entry point into Europe from neighboring Turkey.
Crossings across parts of the Aegean Sea to Lesbos are dangerous, as smugglers typically use overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels to take people over to Greek soil.
Two days earlier, a woman had died during the perilous crossing, while 17 others survived.
Last April, seven people — including three children — died when their inflatable boat capsized off the island.
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Greece clamps downs on irregular migration
Greece has however turned its attention largely to the southern island of Crete and its small sister island of Gavdos, which have witnessed a significant increase in the number of migrants and refugees arriving this year.
Instead of Turkey, most of these migrants tend to depart from Libya, often traveling for several days before reaching what is the largest of the Greek Islands.
In response to this rise in numbers, the conservative Greek government hardened its stance on migration in July, suspending asylum claims for people coming from North Africa for the duration of at least three months.
Other laws to combat irregular immigration tabled by the government and likely to be passed in parliament include lengthy prison sentences of up to five years for anyone found to be residing in Greece without a permit.
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with Reuters, AFP, AP
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