Tuesday night, August 13, a sailboat reported to be carrying 87 people, 72 adults and 15 children, contacted Aegean Boat Report for assistance after they ended up in distress 14 nautical miles south east of Syrna in the Dodecanese.
The Smugler originally driving the boat, had left on a small speedboat, and headed back to the Turkish shore before sundown. Engine was no longer working due to flooding in the engine room, they were drifting and needed assistance. Weather in the area was reported to be rough, windy and high waves.
We immediately informed the appropriate authorities, the Hellenic coast guard, and provided all necessary information, so that the sailboat could be located, and people onboard could be taken to the nearest port of safety.
We maintained contact with the boat for over three hours, they appeared to be very scared, and told that they believed that the boat would sink. We tried to ensure them that help was on the way, and that they soon would be rescued.
The Hellenic coast guards search and rescue center informed us that a vessel had been dispatched to the area, but so far not located the sailboat. We could only hope that they reached them in time, but to the people onboard, to try to keep their spirits up, we told them that they would soon be rescued.
At midnight all contact with the people onboard the sailboat was lost, and the Greek coast guard, who previously had been very helpful, suddenly didn’t want to provide any information, not even confirming that they had received the information in the first place, nor sent any vessel to the area.
We didn’t know what had happened to the sailboat and the people onboard, and could only hope that they had been rescued. The coast guard, who is the only who could assist them, were no longer interested in providing any information, there were no others we could turn to.
The following day, at 11.30, the Turkish coast guard found and rescued 87 people from four life rafts drifting inside Turkish territory waters south west of Didim.
When comparing pictures and videos received from the people onboard the sailboat the previous night, with the footage taken by the Turkish coast guard under the rescue operation, we could confirm, without any doubt, that the people in the life rafts came from the sailboat.
We were of course relieved that that the group hadn’t drowned, but at the same time appalled that a coast guard, who has sworn an oath to protect life at sea, could treat other human beings in such a despicable way. First rescue them, then force men, women and children into life rafts, and leave them helplessly drifting in the middle of the sea.
87 people, 15 of them small children, was “rescued” by the Greek coast guard, transported on a coast guard vessel, (most likely financed by the European Union) and left drifting in 4 life rafts (most likely paid for by EU) in the middle of the sea. They were transported 62 nautical miles before being forced into these life rafts, the efforts put into this is enormous, there is absolutely no doubt who is responsible.
If this had been a one time occurrence it would indeed have been shocking, major headlines in the international press, “Coast guard abandoning refugees at sea”, because it’s basically illegal. If a civilian vessel had placed people in life rafts and left them at sea, both crew and captain would have ended up in jail for attempted murder.
But as we all know, this is not a one time occurrence, this is happening every single day in the Aegean Sea, where Greek Coast Guard risks the lives of thousands of vulnerable people, men, women and children, seeking protection at Europe’s borders. And since this is happening every single day, it has become normal, no longer of any interest for the press.
Monday August 12, another sailboat was stopped by the Greek coast guard deep inside Greek territory waters, a group of 100 people, 20 of them small children, was left drifting in five life raft in the middle of the night inside Turkish waters north east of Rhodes.
Just to understand the scale of this, the systematic approach by the Greek authorities and the European Commission, it’s necessary to use numbers. Over the last four years 86.000 people have been illegally pushed back by Greek authorities in the Aegean Sea, 27.000 of them were found drifting in 1.600 life rafts abandoned at sea by the Greek coast guard.
1.600 life rafts, packed with people, men, women and children, abandoned at sea by a European country, member of the EU, and not one single investigation has been conducted by the European Commission into these crimes, it’s just totally unbelievable.
Some might find it strange that these kinds of atrocities is happening in Europe, but as long as there are no consequences for the people responsible, in this case the Greek authorities, it will continue, and not only that, it will increase, as a result more people will die.
We could conveniently put all responsibility on the Greek authorities, since they are a sovereign nation, and are the ones performing these crimes. But they would have no chance pulling this off by themselves, they basically lack the resources.
Behind the scenes The European Commission is pulling the strings, providing all necessary equipment, manpower and funding. At the same time they refuse to open infringement proceedings against Greece, or start independent investigation into these hideous crimes, claiming it is the responsibility of the Greek authorities to investigate themselves.
The guardian of the treaties is no longer guarding, they actively and vigorously supporting the killings of thousands of people at Europe’s borders, all in the name of “border management”.
The “European way of life”, and “European values”, seems to have become only words on paper, without any real meaning, purpose or value.
We can’t avoid, and definitely shouldn’t, pointing out that Frontex, The European Border and Coust Guard Agency, is heavily involved in these widespread illegal activities at our borders. As the head of Frontex, Hans Leijtens pointed out, “if we are present we are involved”, and they most definitely present.
One would assume that Frontex involvement in illegal activities would have gone down after the former head of Frontex, Fabrice Leggeri, resigned in April 2022.
When Hans Leijtens took office in March 2023, he promised to stop all illegal practices and human rights abuses that had been ongoing under the his predecessor, but did that really happen?
If we compare the last 18 months under Leggeri, and the first 18 months under Leijtens, there is actually an increase of 42% in illegal pushbacks in the Aegean Sea. So instead of going down under new management, Frontex involvement in illegal pushbacks is actually drastically increasing.
If nobody is putting the spotlight on these crimes against humanity, and nobody is supporting those very few who dares to speak up against this, it will never ever end.
For those who stay silent in these dark times in fear of reprisals, for those who refuse to stand behind those who actually dare to speak up, for those who hide behind organization guidelines and policies ment for self preservation, I would like to say this;
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
Desmond Tutu