That people disappear from time to time, for many reasons, is well known all over the world, but that large groups of people magically disappears, on a daily basis in Europe, is uncommon, at least it was.
Over the last 19 months large groups of refugees has kept disappearing after arriving on the Greek Aegean island, only to resurface hours or days later, drifting in life rafts in the Aegean Sea. Greek authorities seemingly baffled by these magical events, seems to have know answers on these heavenly interventions.
In the last 19 months almost 8000 people have magically disappeared after arriving on the Greek Aegean islands, only to have been found in a total of 450 life rafts drifting in the Aegean Sea. A magic show that would have put even David Copperfield in the shadows, if it in fact was magic, it’s not, it’s an systematic violation of international laws and human rights performed by the Greek authorities.
A boat carrying 26 people landed in Dotia area, between Emporio and Vroulidia, Chios south east before first light on October 21.
The appropriate authorities was notified, given all details on the new arrivals, also that they wish to apply for asylum by email from Panayote Dimitras, Greek Helsinki Minitor (GHM).
From information in the local online news Astraparis, port police on chios told the journalist that they had no information on this incident, besides a email from the NGO Greek Helsinki Monitor, and referred to the local police.
According to the General Regional Police Directorate of the North Aegean, nobody had been found, but they were still searching. This was most likely not true, and the intention was not to officially find them at all, so that they magically disappeared during the night, as so many before them.
From looking at the official arrival information published by the Greek authorities no arrivals was registered on Chios this day, nor the following days.
From a video taken in the hills north east of Broulidia Beach, published in local news, all doubts on if they in fact had been on Chios, is removed, any local will confirm that the location is on Chios.
The Greek deputy Ombudsman, George P. Nikolopoulos, Department of human rights, sent a letter to Border Protection Police, Chios Police, Samos Police on 15/11 – copied to GHM, asking questions regarding the incident and the whereabouts of these people.
The arrival was thoroughly documented, not only was pictures, videos and geolocation data received, but also detailed personal information on all who arrived in this group. All this information was provided to the appropriate authorities.
Their arrival was published by the Greek Helsinki Monitor, Astraparis, EFSYN and Aegean Boat Report, no information was provided by the authorities, and no people was officially found on Chios.
From pictures published by TCG, there is absolutely no doubt, it’s the same people who the previous day arrived on Chios.
Several people from the group is positively identified in both pictures and videos taken on Chios, and pictures and videos published by TCG.
The question is not if it’s them, because it is, the questions is how did they end up in these life rafts and who was responsible for putting them there.
Greek authorities continues to deny any involvement in these pushbacks, lying to both the EU Commision and international journalists. It has been proven, without a doubt, that these pushbacks are performed by the Hellenic coast guard and special forces belonging to the Greek armed forces, on direct orders from the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. All do he pretends to have no knowledge on these atrocities, it’s unlikely that a head of state is unaware of massive operations undertaken by it’s coast guard and armed forces over the last 19 months.
The EU commission seems to be unwilling to put necessary pressure on Greece to try to put and end to this illegal and systematic violations of international law and human rights, performed by a member state. Our fundamental European values are undermined by the very people we have put to protect them.
In the early hours of today, November 8, a boat carrying 31 people, 14 men, 14 women and 3 children, tried to cross from Ayvacik, Turkey to Lesvos north.
Aegean Boat Report received an emergency call at 05.13, from the Greek Turkish sea border, people onboard was under attack by a two engine RIB, five men in dark uniforms, carrying guns, faces covered with balaclavas.
On the phone people were screaming, and we could clearly hear a power engine in the background, not the small engine like these rubber boats are fitted with, but something significantly more powerful. The phone went dead, and connecting was lost.
Three hours later, at 08.00, the group came online again, they asked for help, they said that the soldiers had removed the engine on the boat, and that they were drifting. We received a location from whatsapp, that seemed to be inside Greek waters, but difficult to pinpoint the border exactly. From pictures received, taken early this day, we could clearly see that the engine was missing.
Aegean Boat Report contacted the Port Police on Lesvos, the call took over 9 minutes, because they were far more interested in who I was and how I knew, than in the people helplessly drifting inside their territory waters. The woman on the phone at the port police office in Mytilíni suddenly seemed to have lost most of her English skills, and mumbled something about checking the incident before she just hung up the phone.
As a routine, in all case where there can be doubts on where exactly a boat is located at the border, the Turkish coast guard was also called. This call took under one minute, all information was given, and the operator on the other end could inform me that the position given was inside Greek territory waters.
Another four hour passed, an at 11.50 the group was online again, this time from a different phone number. Aegean Boat Report received pictures and videos from a life raft, we could clearly see two rafts filled with people, the same people who was drifting in a rubber dinghy without an engine four hours prior.
A new location was sent, and strangely enough this group had managed to not only move 44km, 24 nautical miles, in a boat without an engine, in four hours, but also magically managed to change transportation equipment from a rubber boat to two life rafts. How this magic act had been performed, well we don’t need to be rocket scientists to understand.
The two life rafts, carrying 31 people was drifting south west of Ayvalik, and again Aegean Boat Report called the Turkish coast guard. The operator on the other end told me that they know about the two rafts, and that a coast guard vessel was already on the way to the location, they had received a fax from the Greek Coast Guard, informing them about the two rafts drifting inside Turkish territory waters, and the operator said that this was standard procedure after a pushback by the Greek Coast Guard. After a pushback, the Hellenic Coast Guard is kind enough to inform their counterparts on the whereabouts of their pushback victims by fax, that’s just brilliant.
What happened would have been quite amusing, if it hadn’t been for the severity of the situation. The Hellenic Coast Guard had made one crucial mistake when they removed the engine of the rubber boat, and left people drift north of Lesvos. The boat didn’t drift towards Turkey, instead it drifted south east towards Lesvos, not exactly what they had in mind, and something they needed to correct.
31 people was picked up by the Hellenic Coast Guard, transported out of the area and forced into two life rafts. Onboard the Hellenic Coast Guard vessel they stripped them of what little they had, bags, money, papers and phones, but one phone they didn’t find, the one they used to contact Aegean Boat Report. Somewhere west of Ayvalik they had been left drifting, and the Hellenic Coast Guard had corrected their mistake.
We can easily conclude that they didn’t manage to move from a rubber dinghy to life rafts by themselves, and travel 44 km without an engine in four hours. Another example of the handiwork performed by the Hellenic Coast Guard, on behalf of the Greek government.
A group of 36 people, that supposedly have been held captive for several days on the island of Farmakonisi by Greek officials, contacted Aegean Boat Report for assistance.
The group of 36, 24 men, 6 women and 6 children, all from Palestine, has informed Aegean Boat Report that they wishes to apply for asylum in Greece.
So far they claim to have received nor food nor water, and been kept like animals in a small area surrounded by barb wire, only shelter is a small shed next to the port.
From pictures, videos and location data sent to Aegean Boat Report, there are no doubt that they are on Farmakonisi.
Also from pictures we can clearly see a Lambro Halmatic 60, ΛΣ 514, belonging to the Hellenic Coast Guard anchored at the port, the vessel most likely belongs to the port police on Leros.
The fate of the 36 on Farmakonisi is unknown, contact with the group was lost earlier today. No reports on people being transported to Leros, and we fear that they will be deported in life rafts in the Aegean Sea if nobody intervenes.
Update 12:00
Port Police on Leros say they know nothing of this incident, something that seems very strange. 36 people have been held captive on the inhabited island for days.
This morning the ΛΣ 514 left and a Lambro 57 coastal patrol boat took its place in the port, ID number ΛΣ 612, belonging to the port police on, yes you guessed correct, Leros.
They are obviously lying, and the reason for these lies, well we can online imagine, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this one out.
The situation on the Greek Aegean islands is totally out of control, more and more people are being pushed back after arriving on the Greek islands. The evidence is very clear, it had been documented for 19 months without any action taken by the EU commission, it’s not only an embarrassment for the Greek people, but for the whole of Europe.
It’s time for the EU Commission to intervene, this madness has been going on far to long already
Yesterday morning Aegean Boat Report was contacted by a large group of people on a cargo ship drifting south of Ierapetra, Crete south. People onboard estimated that there are between 300-400 people onboard.
The boat was heading towards Italy, but due to bad weather and engine problems they headed towards Crete, where the engine stoped working.
They sent pictures, videos, sound messages and location data, and there is no doubt that the boat was drifting between Ierapetra and the small island of Chrisi.
People onboard call 112 and alerted the Hellenic coast guard, and shortly after a vessel from HCG was on the scene. HCG vessel ΛΣ 070 can be seen on pictures and videos sent from the people onboard.
Yesterday afternoon we received videos and pictures of the boat being towed by the Hellenic coast guard, and we assumed that they would take the boat to port on Crete, unfortunately this seems not to be the case.
Late last night we received location south east of Crete, and this morning we can see the boat heading north east towards Turkey. The plan might be to take them to Rhodes, but we believe that this boat will be set adrift in Turkish waters near Datça, Turkey, hopefully we are mistaken.
In pictures we can see Special forces personnel have boarded the cargo ship and taken control over the bridge, nobody is allowed to the area, special forces is heavily armed.
The boat has a steady course towards Turkey, and if nothing is done this will be the biggest single pushback performed by the Greek coast guard ever registered. We call on the international community to intervene, this madness can no longer continue.
We also call on EU politicians and member states to to contact the greek government to try to put an end to this, the time to act is now!
Update 11.30
The tow have now stoped outside the island of Kasos, people onbord are anxious, they dont know what will happen to them.
Update 13.15
The boat is now being towed due north east, people onboard have gotten no reassurance that they will be taken to a Greek island, and are very worried.
“Everyone here is from Afghanistan, we are all human, world should help us, for God sake please help us!”
Update 14.30
Only contact is a new location, no other information received.
It`s perhaps a bit odd the port police told CNN yesterday afternoon that they hadn`t found the boat, when we have pictures and video of HCG being on location at 08.30. Also a bit strang to be looking for a safe port, towing the vessel from Crete to an for now unknown location. Perhaps more likely that this case got a bit more atention than they had in mind in the first place, and that they due to publick pressure had to change thir initial plan.
Aegean Boat Report happy that this large group will not be pushed back, and will be given the opportunity to apply for asylum.
Update 22.00
People have been onboard for four days, and still, after being towed since yesterday noon, they have received no food, no water and no medical attention. One man unconscious, two others also very sick.
The Hellenic Coast Guard have now turned around, it looks like they are heading towards Karpathos harbor. There seems to be no plan on where to take the people on this boat, when their initial plan to push them back fell through.
There has been given no information from the Greek authorities to the people onboard, they are confused and do not know what will happen to them.
People onboard need food, water and medical attention immediately!
Update 00.00
Athens is taking coordinated diplomatic action in order for Turkey to honour its commitments and take back the more than 400 peole carried by the Turkish ship.
Greek authorities update:”The ship with about 400 migrants, which bears the Turkish flag, is currently sailing in international waters. A request has been submitted by the Greek authorities to Turkey to accept its return by the Ministry of Shipping. In collaboration with Mr. Plakiotakis, the Minister of Immigration and Asylum has already contacted the Turkish authorities and the European Commission to resolve the incident.”
This is by itself very strange to claim that the boat is in international waters, 12 nautical miles from Greek shore, since most of the time the boat hav been inside Greek territory waters. Also the only reason that the boat might have been in international waters, is because it was towed there by the Hellenic coast guard vessel ΛΣ 070.
The boat was initiated a few kilometers from Crete, when HCG started the tow yesterday, October 28, at noon. Since have the boat been towed by HCG and is currently located south east of Karpathos, destination is still unknown, and from the map showing the posisjon of the boat sent by refugees onboard since yesterday, it doesn’t look like HCG knows themselves.
Update 01.00
The boat seems to be going back and forth outside the east side of Karpathos, no information have been given to the passengers from HCG, and no food, water or medical attention has been provided to people onboard.
Update 14.00
Over 400 people are still trapped on a small cargo ship, witch have been towed by a vessel from the Hellenic Coast Guard(ΛΣ 070), since the morning of October 28. No food, water or medical attention has been provided by the Greek government, several people onboard are sick, some seem on video being unconscious.
The boat was yesterday outside Karpathos, where the Hellenic Coast Guard towed it back and forth east of the island for 24 hours, seemingly without any plan on where to take these people. What reason they have for not providing any support to over 400 people trapped on this cargo ship is not known, it’s an inhuman act in itself, and clearly shows that they deliberately makes the situation onboard as cruel as humanly possible, as they have done on the Greek Aegean islands for years.
Efforts have been made by the Greek government to avoid to take responsibility in this case, by first trying to argue that they should be taken back to Turky because of the EU-Turkey agreement, then later trying to pull the “vessel in international waters” card, in this case trying to claim that the boat was 12nm off the Greek coast, not taking in account that they actually, most of the time, was inside this zone, and actually being towed by the Hellenic Coast Guard for now 55 hours.
People onboard have been told that they will be taken to a Greek island and will arrive there this afternoon around 17.00. From the positions received from the boat this morning, they are heading in direction of Kos, but unknown if this is the final destination. The boat is now north west of Tilos, still being towed by HCH.
There is a lot of confusion amongst the over 400 people onboard, some are happy because they believe they will be taken to Greece, others In deep despair, because they don’t trust the Greek government and believe they somehow will be taken back to Turkey.
We call on the integration community to make sure this inhuman treatment of the people onboard comes to an end, and that they are taken to a safe port in Greece to be able to apply for asylum.
A Lambro 57 patrol boat from the Hellenic Coast Guard just pulled up next to the cargo ship, and people are saying the special forces personnel onboard the cargo ship is leaving. Confused grows even bigger, and they believe the Greek coast guard will leav them there drifting. Situation is difficult due to a total lack of information from the Greek government to the people involved.
Update 14.20
It seems like all military personnel have left the cargo vessel, people onboard is desperate, some reports on suicide attempts, people jumping into the sea, situations is getting out of hand.
After four days at sea they have arrived outside Kos, and seems to have anchored north east of Kardamaina.
HCG vessel ΛΣ 070 has left and a new vessel from HCG has taken over, ΛΣ 080.
People onboard is still very confused about what is going on, and what will happen to them.
Hopefully they will soon be taken to land on Kos, and be provided with food, water and medical attention.
Update 20:00
After 60 hours trapped onboard the Cargo vessel controlled by the Hellenic Coast Guard, under guard by heavily armed special forces, no support to the over 400 passengers has been given, no food, no water and no medical attention to those remaining onboard.
People are still confused, and have little trust in information from Greek authorities that they will be disembarked on Kos.
Update 01:30
The boat carrying over 400 people are finally heading towards Kos harbor, and are expected to be in port within one hour. If passengers will be disembarked tonight or tomorrow morning is so far unknown, either way it will take some time to get that many people off the cargo vessel, checked, registered and quarantined.
For now it seems like this case finally will come to an end, and all the people involved will finally be taken to a safe port, for now.
A boat carrying 27 people landed north west of Palios, Lesvos north east before first light on October 12. Immediately after arriving they split into several smaller groups, and fled to the woods, scared to be found by Greek police and illegally returned to Turkey.
Several of the groups contacted Aegean Boat Report after first light, and asked for assistance, they wanted to be taken to a camp and get the opportunity to apply for asylum in Greece.
The weather this day was terrible, heavy rain and wind, it wasn’t a good time to be hiding in the woods, without shelter. UNHCR head office was informed on the situation, and as far as we know there were communication between UNHCR and the harbor master in Mytilíni, and also between UNHCR and the police. The official information from the police at the time was that nobody had been found.
Contact with the groups was lost and regained several times during the day, they sent pictures, videos, locations and sound messages, to document their presence on Lesvos. The groups was scattered in different locations on the north east of the island, hiding.
We struggle to find anyone on Lesvos that could come to their aid, on Lesvos, or any other island for that matter, there isn’t many that are willing to provide assistance, organization, NGOs, volunteers, journalists and lawyers, who dare to go to a location to help people who have just arrived, they face the risk of being arrested, charged with facilitating illegal entry to Greece, obstruction of police investigations and whatever other charges they might come up with, and this just because they are trying to help vulnerable people seeking safety in Europe.
No information on their whereabouts was given to the police by Aegean Boat Report, we will not contribute to the violations of international laws and human rights performed by the Greek authorities, systematically removing people from European soil, leaving them helplessly drifting in life rafts in the Aegean Sea. At the time we had no reports on any emergencies within the groups, that would indicate that they would need immediate medical attention.
In the afternoon Katinka Simonse, aka Tinkebell, contacted Aegean Boat Report, after reading our post on the new arrivals that needed assistance on the island. She and two others made plans to go to a location where at least six people was hiding on the north of Lesvos, to try to assist.
Before they went, she spoke to officers from Bulgarian Frontex to get advice on how to approach the situation, and if Frontex could help to bring these people to camp.
Around 21.00 the group of three was on the way towards a location south east of the village of Klio, where six people was hiding in the woods. One hour later they arrived and found six boys, minors, soaking wet, and tried their best to keep them warm.
At this point port police on Lesvos was informed, they received location and said they would come to the location, this didn’t happen. Several hours later no police had arrived, and k.Simonse and her group decided to drive back to Mytilini to try to get help.
On their way back, they stopped at a second location where a group of 8 people was supposedly hiding, from the same landing as the previous group. Unfortunately the group in this location had moved further up the mountain, and it was not possible to find them in the dark.
The Dutch crew headed back to Mytilíni, gathered blankets food and water, spoke to the police, who again promised to go to the location of the new arrivals in the north, before they hurried back to the minors in hiding.
Police eventually arrived around six in the morning, 8 hours after they had gotten information on the whereabouts of the minors, they didn’t seem too interested in getting these people to a camp, at least not in a hurry. The Dutch crew was told to follow the police back to Mytilíni, for a short statement at the police station, at this point things took a turn for the worse for the people who tried to help.
At the police station they were interrogated one by one, for hours, the woman was told to undress and had to go through an humiliating illegal search that included stripping naked, where the police officer also checked their cavities. This was of course totally illegal, since they hadn’t been arrested or charged with anything, meant for humiliation and intimidation, and a good example of how Greek police acts when they want to send a signal to others, to scare off anyone thinking of doing the same. Tinkebell press conference published on Instagram
After 7 hours the three arrested were let out of the police station, after lawyers had demanded their release, there was no charge made against them, but hopefully the officers involved will have to answer for their crimes in a court of law in the near future. The incident has not gone without attention in the Dutch press.
The following day, October 13, more people were located and taken to camp. A group of 8 people that had been given shelter by locals in a school in the village of Klio, amongst them a pregnant woman that was taken to hospital for a routine check after complaints of pain in her stomach. A total of 13 people were transported to the quarantine camp in Mavrovouni, Lesvos south, and one woman to hospital. Yes we are aware that only 13 people was registered as arrived in the Greek government statistics, why the woman in hospital is not registered we actually don’t know.
From the group of 27, only 14 people actually arrived in a camp, the rest, 13 people seemed to have magically disappeared, again. No new arrivals were registered as arrived on Lesvos this day, nor the following days.
The group of 8 people that was supposed to meet up with the Dutch crew suddenly went offline, last sign of life was at 03.06 when we received a location at a road south east of Mantamados. We didn’t hear anything from them before they again contacted Aegean Boat Report on October 17, from Izmir, Turkey.
The person we had contact with four days prior was 17 year old Hamza, he told us that police had found them around 02.30. They had been very scared, but police calmed them down by saying that there was nothing to be worried about, and that they would take them to camp. Unfortunately the police didn’t tell the truth, and they wouldn’t be taken to any camp, at least not a Greek one.
A white van arrived, they had to go in the back of the van, there were no windows or seats, scared, wet and freezing after a long day out in the storm, they huddled together in the back of the van to try to stay warm. They explain that it seemed like they were driving for 30-40 minutes, but it was difficult to tell time.
Illustration Picture
When the van stopped 8-10 men in balaclavas, carrying guns and batons was waiting outside. “There was a lot of shouting and screaming, they wanted us to give our bags, phones, papers and money to them, those who didn’t do what they were told was beaten with batons and kicked. Even dose who did do everything they asked for got beaten just for looking up, it was crazy, they called us names, insulting things, I don’t know why they treated us like this” said Hamza. They even had to take off their shoes and jackets, it was could, windy and raining.
Five unaccompanied minors and one adult were stripped of the few belongings they had left in life, brutally beaten and insulted by representatives of the Greek government, members of the heroic and proud Greek armed forces.
Hamza said they were taken to a port, with a concrete pier and som building, when showing him pictures of the Schengen port in Petra, Lesvos north, he instantly recognized it. This is the same port that has been used in many similar cases on Lesvos, illegally deporting people from Greece.
They were taken onboard a Greek coast guard vessel at first light, under guard by masked men with guns, wearing balaclavas, constantly reminded of “look down and shut up”, those not doing what they told, was again beaten. They were placed outside on deck, on the left side of the vessel, the only things they had on was a t-shirt and jeans, their jackets, shoes and all other belongings had been taken from them. Five other people were also taken onboard, four of them Hamza immediately recognized, they had arrived on the same boat on Lesvos the previous day. 13 people, mostly unaccompanied minors, forced back to see by the Hellenic coast guard.
The vessel taking them out was identified as a Vosper Europatrol 250 MK1, most likely the ΛΣ 050 belonging to the Hellenic coast guard and stationed in Petra.
How long they stayed on the boat was difficult to say, watches and phones were stolen from them, outside, without proper clothes, freezing, it felt like hours, and it most likely was.
The vessel stopped and there was a lot of activity on the middle deck behind them. A gray rib was hoisted with a crane off the vessel, while several masked men in dark uniforms inflated a small raft. The minors was told to get in the life raft, those who tried to resist were treated roughly. The gray rib towed the life raft away from the HCG vessel, after five minutes the rope was cut and the rib returned to the HCG vessel.
Prevous Pushback Performed By HCG
13 people, mostly unaccompanied minors age 14 to 17, were left helplessly drifting in a life raft in the Aegean Sea, without life vests and any possibility to call for help, because the Greek Coast Guard had stolen their phones.
From pictures taken on Lesvos we have been able to identify several people from pictures and videos published by the Turkish coast guard. There is no doubt that it’s the same people who arrived north of Palios, Lesvos north the previous day.
Hamza is sitting on the right side of the raft, his jacket and hat was taken by the Greek police, but his blue ribbon on his right wrist is visible on both pictures from the life raft and from pictures on Lesvos. The blue ribbon symbolizes the Somalian flag, it’s him remembering that his home is in Somalia, no matter where he is in the world.
There is absolutely no doubt who is responsible for these illegal pushbacks, and it’s also no doubt that the EU Commission and it’s representatives won’t lift a finger to try to stop these violations, it’s an embarrassment, not only for the EU commission, but for the whole of Europe.
This has been going on for over 18 months, over 20.000 people have been illegally pushed back in the Aegean Sea, 400 life rafts found drifting carrying 7000 people, all by the hands of the Greek government, blessed by the EU Commission. Violations of international laws and human rights financed by EU taxpayers money.
Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson is using fancy words in a speech at the plenary debate on pushbacks at the EU external border, “Pushbacks should never be normalised, pushbacks should never be legalized”, unfortunately, both are lies.
Pushbacks are indeed normalized, the results we can see in Greece, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, actually the whole Balkan route and the EU`s external border.
To say that pushbacks never should be legalized on one side, and finance it on the other side seems strangely contradictory. Frontex presence at the borders of the EU is massive, never before in the history of Frontex, have as many troops, state of the art technology and surveillance systems, been deployed at the EU external border, but despite all this, they haven’t reported one single pushback, no violations of human rights, nothing, doesn’t anyone find that a bit odd?
Perhaps it’s difficult to report on something that they are a part of, but for EU politicians to try to say this is not their policy, not their responsibility, lying and trying to disguise the truth, it’s an embarrassment.
A group of 27 people arrived on the small island of Diaporti, west of Livadaki beach, Samos north east, in the early hours of October 18. After first light they contacted Aegean Boat Report, asking for help so that they wouldn’t be pushed back to Turkey by the Greek authorities.
This same morning another boat landed west of Potami, Samos north west, also this boat carrying 27 people, and also this group contacted Aegean Boat Report and asked for help.
Both groups had provided sufficient documentation of their presence on Samos, pictures, video and location data was sent to Aegean Boat Report. Authorities had information on the location of both groups. In Potami the NGO Helsinki Monitor had sent an official notification to the authorities, on Diaporti a vessel from the Hellenic Coast Guard can be seen in several videos on location.
There is no doubt that the Port police on Samos knew about both arrivals, but only one group, the one that arrived in Potami, was taken to the camp on Samos, the other group from Diaporti island, was forcibly removed from Samos, and left drifting in a life raft outside Kusadasi, Turkey, by the Hellenic Coast Guard.
Unfortunately for the people traveling towards Samos north east, they didn’t manage to land the boat on Samos, instead they landed on a small “rock” only 50 meters from Samos, the island of Diaporti. In the dark it must have been impossible to tell the difference, and in the belief that they had reached their destination, they destroyed the boat, and sealed their faith.
Diaporti
Some of the new arrivals on Diaporti seems to have realized their mistake before it was to late. In the cover of darkness, and before the vessel from the Hellenic Coast Guard arrived, seven people swam the short distance, 50 meters, from the island to Samos, and escaped being pushed back.
At first light when they contacted Aegean Boat Report, several of them mentioned someone swimming, but when asked if someone was in the sea, they said not anymore, that everyone was on land and ok. We actually didn’t realize that someone had escaped from the tiny island, they continued to repeat that 27 people had been on the boat and everyone was ok, there was nowhere to go right?, my mistake.
Previous Pushback outside Samos
The officers onboard the coast guard vessel, a Lambro 57 belonging to the port police on Samos, seems for some reason to have fired a gun or a rifle, for what reason and towards what we don’t know. Several of the new arrivals reported that the Greek coast guard, who are on location was shooting towards them. We have also received voice messages where we can hear what we identify as shots fired in the background.
This sound could off course be something else, but combined with what the people reported, it’s at least suspicious, and if in fact they were shooting agains refugees on a small island, totally uncalled for.
The group has provided sufficient prof of their presence on Diaporti, Aegean Boat Report have received pictures, video and location data, we can also see a Lambro 57 coastal patrol boat belonging to the Hellenic Coast Guard on site.
All contact with the group was lost 08.25, on 4 different phones, so we assumed that the port police on Samos had arrived on the island and forced them to turn off their phones, or even hand them over, not an unusual practice from the port police. Non on these phones have been online since.
We hoped that this group also would be taken to the camp on Samos, as the group from Potami, but no further arrivals was registered, and we realized that they mostly likely had been removed from the area by force, and would not end up in any camp.
At 11.40 the Turkish coast guard found and rescued 20 people from a life raft drifting outside Kusadasi, Turkey, only three hours after last contact on the Greek island of Diaporti. There isn’t much doubt on what happened, nor is there any doubt on who is responsible.
From pictures published by TCG, Aegean Boat Report have so far positively identified five people, the same people who we can see in the pictures from Diaporti earlier this day. There is absolutely no doubt that it’s the same people, and as we have concluded so many times before, no doubt on who is responsible.
Unfortunately the port police on Samos seems to be suffering from amnesia, because if asked, there wasn’t any incident in this area, not as far as they can remember at least. The video of the HCG vessel on location?, “no that must be a mistake, probably something these criminal NGOs have cooked up to make us look bad”, yes, that must be it right..
When it comes to the 7 missing people from this landing on Diaporti, we believe they were found today(Wednesday), when NGOs was searching the area for people missing from a landing this morning. A boat reported to be carrying approximately 30 people landed on Samos north east, first 31 people was found, then an additional 14, way more than it should have been in the first place on this boat. We first believe that two boats had arrived in this area today, and that can still be the case, but we also believe that the 7 missing from Diaporti from yesterday is amongst these 45 found today.
We have published hundreds of pushback reports over the last year. Since March 2020, we have documented 755 pushback cases involving 20.446 people. In the same period, 385 life rafts have been found drifting in the Aegean Sea, carrying over 6.600 people.
Pushback by a Lmanbro 57 HCG Vessel in an previous incident
This is no longer even the “new normal”: it is just “normal”. There can be few more damning indictments of Europe and its people than that this is how we behave: risking and causing people to die, by attacking them, and denying them their fundamental human rights.
It is an attack on us all: when a government strips a Somali teen, a Syrian child, an Iraqi man, an Afghan woman of their human rights, you have to know that they are reserving the right to do the same to you, to your son, daughter, brother, sister, parents, grandfather and grandmother.
Those rights belong to us all: once they are taken from one of us, they can be taken from us all. It must stop. We cannot simply turn a blind eye to this – the disgrace of Europe. Instead, we must stand, together, and demand better: from our governments, from the EU, from the international community.
On Sunday morning, October 17, a boat reported to be carrying 23 people, 14 men, 4 women and 5 children landed west of Armenistis, Ikaria north west.
The new arrivals contacted several organizations to make their presence known, pictures, videos and location data was received, and local media was contacted.
Local residents, that arrived in the area after being informed of their presence, provided water, food and hygiene items to the new arrivals
Port police arrived with two boats and a car in the area, and reported to have found 21 people in Armenistis, after being informed by locals. Two people seems to be missing, police was informed by the new arrivals that not all people that arrived was amongst the 21 found.
A Nissan Terrano and a Rafnar Leiftur 1100 Cabin Patrol boat, belonging to the port authority on Ikaria is photographed by a local in the port of Armenistis. The locals witnessed that at least 21 people was taken onboard before the boat drove away. Several people can be seen in front of the boat, but if we look closely, we can also see that there are men in dark uniforms wearing balaclavas. The orginal picture will have a better resolution, hopfully it will be given to the Greek press.
The boat that transported the refugees from Armenistis, is a Leiftur 1100 Cabin Patrol boat from Rafnar, one of ten boats in Greek Coast Guards possession, stationed on Ikaria, Alexandroupoli, Kastelorizo, Lemnos, Mount Athos, Chios, Mytilene, Kalymnos, Kos and Samos.
This tiny pice of information, the masked men, was overlooked at that time, because everyone assumed that the coast guard would only transfer them to a camp on Samos, this is at least what they told them. This did unfortunately and shockingly not happen.
According to local news, 21 people boarded a vessel from the Hellenic coast guard in Agios Kirikos, local authorities informed that they would be transferred to Samos. This was the information given to journalists at that stage, one day later the info from the local port police had changed, there was no incident on Ikaria.
Police on Ikaria had been searching for the two people missing from this landing, it seems they found only one of them, because 22 people were transported by a vessel from the Hellenic coast guard from Agios Kirikos.
Locals was informed through social media publications of their presence, and went to the area to assist. Local press was informed, and published the news together with pictures that had been provided to them.
A text book example on how to provide enough public attention, so that local port police couldn’t follow orders from the Greek government, to push them back, so everyone believed at least, no arrivals from Ikaria was ever registered on Samos.
Everyone assumed, also the locals who had helped them, NGOs and journalists involved, that the new arrivals on Ikaria was going to be taken to Samos. What happened was not only shocking, but also cruller and inhuman, a violation of international law, international human rights and international maritime law.
From pictures published by TCG, Aegean Boat Report have so far positively identified four people, the same people who we can see in the pictures on Ikaria earlier this day.
All four phones that Aegean Boat Report had contact with on Ikaria this morning went offline between 07.48 and 08.58, and has not been turned on since. Not surprisingly since the people picked up outside Menderes was robbed of all belongings, phones, money, papers, even bags with diapers and food for the babies was taken by masked men on a vessel from the Hellenic Coast Guard.
We know from articles published in local press, that many locals witnessed what happened on Ikaria, especially locals in Amenities who assisted the new arrivals. We hope that they come forward, or at least anonymously, to talk and give statements to journalists, this needs to be published, and not only on Aegean Boat Report. This illegal inhumane behavior of the Greek government is done in the names of all Greek people, it’s up to Greek people to show that this is wrong, that it’s not in their name.
In the group there was 4 women, two of the pregnant, and 5 children, two only babies, 5 months and one only 3 days old. What kind of people force small babies and pregnant women into a life raft and leave them in the middle of the sea? People doing this doesn’t deserve to be called humans, it’s even an insult to animals to call them animals, they are nothing but monsters.
For a coast guard officer to be involved in any of this, is a disgrace for the whole profession, and they can no longer hide behind “just following orders”, because they know that what they are doing is illegal, in direct violation of international law.
Greek Coast Guard Lieutenant Kyriakos Papadopoulos would have turned in his grave if he had known this, and if he had still been amongst us, he would have resigned from the coast guard out of embarrassment, refuse to be a part of this madness.
The spotlight on Greece for illegal pushbacks has been increasing, from NGOs, international press and lately from the EU Commision. This pressure need to continue, to try to force Greece to again follow international law. So far it seems like the Greek government couldn’t care less, and are making a mockery of the EU Commission and international law. The lack of action on these atrocities, from the EU Commission, is not only an embarrassment for themselves, but for the whole of Europe, our values seems to be lost, intentionally by spineless politicians.
Since March 2020 384 life rafts have been found drifting in the Aegean Sea carrying 6,659 men, women and children, victims of cruel and inhuman behavior by the Greek government.
September 25 2021 Dikili Turkey, 151 people found drifting in 7 life rafts by TCG
For any questions from the public, please address the questions to the local authorities on Ikaria
At 6.30am on Saturday 18 September, Aegean Boat Report was contacted by a group of nine people who had just arrived on Korakas, east of Skala Sikamineas, north Lesvos.
The group included three minors, a small child and a pregnant woman.
They hid in the hills on Korakas, afraid that if police found them, they would be sent back to Turkey.
They pleaded to be helped to a camp, but unfortunately nobody could come to their rescue. On Lesvos, or any other island for that matter, there is nobody – no organisation, no NGOs, no volunteers, journalists or lawyers – who would go to a location to help people who have just arrived, or even to document their presence.
If anyone did, and police found them, they would be arrested, charged with facilitating illegal entry to Greece, obstruction of police investigations and whatever other charges they might choose, just because they were trying to help vulnerable people seeking safety in Europe.
The new arrivals provided pictures, videos and location data, which prove they had arrived on Lesvos.
From their videos, any local would recognize the area as Korakas, and we can clearly see the village of Sikaminea in the background of one video.
Aegean Boat Report had contact with the group for just one hour: at 7.44am, all contact was lost, and the number hasn’t been online since.
We might think they just ran out of power on their device, but if so, it’s strange that they wouldn’t turn it on again after 12 days. If it had not run out of power, perhaps they lost the phone, or more likely, it was taken from them.
For a week, we searched for any signs of their presence, but no arrivals were registered on Lesvos on this or the following days to show they had been found and taken to a camp.
We heard rumours that they had been returned to Turkey, but we could not confirm them.
The most likely explanation was that they had been found by police. Perhaps a local had seen them in the area and notified them, or the group had walked towards the nearby village of Skala Sikamineas, and someone called the police from there. It’s difficult to say, because nobody talks about new arrivals anymore: it only gets them in trouble with the authorities.
Our fears were confirmed when the Turkish coast guard (TCG) published pictures and videos of ten people who had been found drifting in a life raft north west of Ayvalik, Turkey.
At 1.20am on 19 September, 18 hours after we lost contact with them in Lesvos, they were found drifting in a life raft 12 nautical miles from where they had arrived the previous day.
There is no doubt that the people photographed and videoed by TCG as they were picked up from the life raft outside Ayvalik are the same people who contacted Aegean Boat Report and desperately asked for help, from the hillside of Korakas, north Lesvos, the previous day.
No help arrived, because there is no help for these people. The only thing Aegean Boat Report can do in cases like this is to document, and later publish our findings.
Perhaps at some point in the future, these documented cases of pushbacks can lead to changes for the better. For the people in this pushback, and all the pushbacks in the coming weeks and months, there is no comfort in that, but we have to believe that things will change at some point in the future.
I have been telling myself this for weeks, months and years, and I’m losing hope that this will ever become reality. Since 1 March 2020, 19,127 people have been pushed back by agents of the Greek government in the Aegean Sea.
Is it plausible that the group itself managed to do this, by themselves, without any assistance?
First, they would have to find a life raft, in an area where there is basically nothing but small fishing boats, then inflate it and paddle – because these life rafts have no engine – back to the place they were fleeing in the first place. In the dark.
We must suppose then, that they were paddling with their shoes, because when they were found they had no shoes. Even the small child must have dropped his shoes in his efforts to help paddle them back to Turkey. Also a bit strange, they left all their belongings behind, bags, phones, money, basically everything.
No, it’s not very plausible, but this is what the Greek government wants you to believe: that these people wanted and somehow managed to go back to Turkey, a place so horrifying for them that they took their children in a dangerous boat, to cross one of Europe’s deadliest stretches of water, in the dark, and for this ‘privilege’ they paid a smuggler thousands of Euros.
Nobody could possibly believe they did this by themselves. I mean literally nobody. But nevertheless, this is the Greek government’s explanation for this “phenomena”.
And we must believe the Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis when he told CNN back in August 2020 that the Greek government was not responsible for these pushbacks, and said: “If there’s any incident that needs to be explored, if there’s any exaggeration at any given point, I’m going to be the first to look into it.” But it seems he has forgotten his promise, and instead of 1000 pushback victims that was refered to in The New York Times article, the number is today over 19,000.
August 31, 2020
Greece’s minister of migration and asylum Notis Mitarachi, has also been eager to proclaim the Greek government’s innocence in these pushbacks, that the international press is paid and been manipulated by the Turkish government – and the ‘criminal’ NGOs – to publish unfounded accusations to smear the good name of Greece.
He always, when asked about these pushbacks, says: “Greece has a tough but fair border management policy, to protect the border of Europe.”
But in the last 18 months, 361 life rafts, carrying more than 6,300 people, have been found drifting in the Aegean Sea.
Never before, anywhere, have so many life rafts been found at sea during peace-time, but European politicians seem to be unwilling to even address the issue.
The politicians we have elected to protect, as the Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson put it, “our fundamental European values”, seem to be sleeping at a time when Europe is at a crossroads.
We need to decide if Europe will be a place where people seeking safety are protected, where international laws and human rights are upheld, or if we will continue to build a wall around Europe, into which only fortunate will be allowed to enter.
The thanker Aristotanis was heading to Crete, when they came across a wooden boat in distress, 70 nautical miles southwest of the island of Schiza, Peloponnese.
The tanker, carrying Marshall Island flag, decided to take the people onboard, because the wooden boat was drifting and taking in water.
The wooden boat was supposedly carrying 150 people, the boat had started out of Izmir area, bound for Italy. Onboard was a mix of people from Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran, 36 of them are children.
According to both rescued passengers and the crew on Aristotanis, a woman, while climbing the ladder up to the deck of the tanker, slipped and fell, they had no means of rescuing her, and she disappeared in the sea.
The woman was told to be an Iranian citizen, around 30 years,traveling with her husband. A passenger in contact with Aegean Boat Report said that she was also pregnant, so it was not one life lost but two.
A coast guard patrol boat, one air force helicopter and one navy helicopter were scrambled to the area and initiated a search and rescue operation, as far as we know the search have been without any result.
The tanker Aristotanis, bound for Egypt, headed to the nearest port on its route, Paleochora, south west of Crete, to disembark the rescued passengers. Why this port was decided is unknown, the port can not doc vessels of this size. Several ports on Crete are equipped to handle vessels like this, Khania, Rethymno, Sitia and Iraklio, but according to information from the Hellenic coast guard, non of these ports had any available space, not even in an emergency like this.
When the tanker arrived in Paleochora Central Port Authority in Chania sent out vessels to take the rescued passengers to port, but they refused to be taken to land, and wanted to be taken to Italy, their original destination.
This is understandably not possible, but we understand that people are scared, and their refusal to disembark on Crete is most likely linked to the Greek government’s systematic and illegal practice, pushing back people who have arrived in Greece, without giving them any possibility to apply for asylum.
From pictures and videos sent from people on the tanker, we can see a heavy presence of men in uniforms, carrying guns.
Particularly interesting, is the men wearing special ops uniforms, unlike the regular uniforms of the Hellenic coast guard, without any distinctions, black gloves and face covered with balaclavas.
These are dressed in the same way, as the men we have seen numerous times carrying out violent illegal pushbacks in the Aegean Sea, from HCG vessels and small RIBs. Why should this kind of firepower be needed, to transfer unarmed men, women and children, from a tanker to port, it seems a bit out of place, perhaps these people have something to fear after all.
Hopefully they will eventually be taken to port, and given their right to apply for asylum. The story has already been published in several newspapers, international and local, so it seems unlikely that the Greek government would risk pushing them back, and create even more attention to their illegal enterprise, but who knows. We have seen similar cases, where people ended up drifting in life rafts in the Aegean Sea.
People on the tanker say it’s quite, most people are sleeping, but they fear what tomorrow will bring, hopefully everything will work out for the best.
As one officer told a group on the tanker, “if you don’t go willingly, we will force you, or you will be sent to Egypt with the tanker”, not very likely considering international laws, but then again Greece seems to ignore international law at their own pleasing.
According to the local newspaper on Crete, neaKriti, the plan is to transfer the refugees to Chania, since there is no accommodation in Paleochora. The Mayor of Chania, Mr. Panagiotis Simandrakis, told neaKriti, that they will be accommodated in the children’s camp of Kakathas, and that the preparations have already been made.
Our thoughts go out to the husband, who not only lost his wife, but also his unborn child. More unnecessary lives lost at sea, as a result of our unwillingness to create safe passage for vulnerable people seeking protection in Europe.
“A sailboat reported to be carrying 84 people have arrived outside Agkali on the island of Folegandros. The people onboard have informed Aegean Boat Report that the boat has engine problems and they need rescue.”
For a week the whereabouts of the people on this sailboat, that was towed away, according to locals and journalists, by a vessel from the Hellenic coast guard, has been a mystery, nobody seems to know, or care where these people went. The silence from the Hellenic coast guard, when asked questions from journalists on this incident, seems also a mystery, they have given no information, on orders from the ministry.
On the day of the incident the Mayor of Folegandros, Efthalia Papadopoulou, told journalists from Protothema that there was a rescue operation ongoing by the Hellenic coast guard.
A journalist on site from EFSYN tried to find out where the boat was towed, without success. He was by coast guard officials told they knew nothing about the incident, and after continuing asking questions they replied that they could not give information on orders from above.
Also a concerned citizen on Folegandros, who was taking pictures of the incident, was approached by port authority officials, not only was she told to stop filming, but also to hand over her camera. When she asked why this was done, she was told by orders from the ministry.
In front of dozens of locals and Greek tourists, a case like this can not go unnoticed. Several Greek news sites wrote about the incident, it seemed like an open and shut case, people would be taken to a quarantine facility for due process. This did unfortunately not happen, and according to Greek officials, there was no incident on Folegandros.
The next day the local coast guard told a shocked SYRIZA MP, Nikos Syrmalenios, who arrived on the island, that they had no knowledge of any incident on Folegandros, also migration ministry told that they had no knowledge of an incident of arrivals of refugees and migrants in Folegandros, referring to the coast guard.
It seems like 84 people just magically disappeared, so what really happened to these vulnerable people?
On the day of the incident first on scene was a Lambro 57 patrol vessel from the Hellenic coast guard, we have pictures of the vessel together with the sailboat in questioning, published in Protothema. Also a helicopter was reported by locals to be in the area.
Also a privat Yacht, the Greek registered Christal Mio, was in the area, the yacht moved on, but have definitely witnessed the sailboat and the Greek coast guard vessel outside Agkali.
A bigger vessel arrived, identification number ΛΣ 090 Gavdos, a Stan Patrol 5509 offshore patrol vessel of the Hellenic coast guard.
The sailboat was, according to locals, towed away from the area, to an unknown and inaccessible part of the island, the passengers were transferred to the offshore vessel, it remained unknown where they would be transferred. The offshore vessel was observed leaving the area later this day, destination unknown.
No new arrivals was registered by the Ministry Of Citizen Protection, not this day nor the following days.
Also two Ukrainian human traffickers was supposedly arrested, but to this day no investigator or prosecutor has received any case file for these arrested traffickers, yet another mystery. The sailboat allegedly “sank” somewhere outside Folegandros, no answers are given by the ministry or coast guard headquarters, who denies any knowledge of this incident.
The following day, September 6, Turkish coast guard (TCG) found and rescued 84 people from four life rafts drifting outside Kusadasi, Turkey. From two pictures published by TCG we suspected that this was the same people who the day before was apprehended outside Folegandros by the Hellenic Coast Guard.
Today the Turkish coast guard was “kind enough” to provide additional footage from this rescue operation, where we not only can see the people rescued, but also the vessel who placed them there. Yes, it’s not without questions we use this footage, both Greece and Turkey would use any opportunity, in the ongoing propaganda war, to make the other side look bad. But when that is said, we can’t ignore the footage published by TCG, it’s just to many things that false into place, it all fits together.
In the video we can see a vessel deploying life rafts, and smaller RIBs towing them away.
When comparing existing published pictures and videos of the ΛΣ 090, there is no doubt, it’s the same vessel, and there are not many of these vessels or similar in the Aegean Sea, it’s in fact only one, the Gavdos, Belonging to the Hellenic coast guard.
Yet another proven pushback, this time not in the border area where it usually takes place, but in the Cyclades, over 130 miles from the Turkish border. The Greek government is no longer doing their dirty work in the cover of darkness, away from witnesses, but in brought daylight in front of everyone to see. They have become confident that nobody will try to stop them, that these systematic violations of international law and human rights will go unchallenged by the rest of Europe.
Greece has recently requested additional funds for border protection, especially in the Aegean, The European Commission asks Greece for transparency on pushbacks to release these funds. The Commission has asked Greece to set up an and credible “independent” mechanism to monitor and avoid pushbacks of migrants at its border as a condition to release an additional €15.83 million in migration funding requested by Athens.
It’s a small step in the right direction, but not by far the reaction on these authorities that would be appropriate for crimes against humanity. They need to do better, we need to do better to stop this European nightmare, that has been allowed to continue for far to long.
We are long past the question “who is behind these pushbacks”, we have seen to many videos of Greek coast guard vessels towing rubber dinghies and inflatable life rafts, testimonies from victims and investigations to be fooled by the continues denials by the Greek government, but still they deny it.
Pushbacks is no longer headlines in the international press, it has become the new “normal”, it’s performed in brought daylight, and even if we can see it happening, every single day, for some strange reason we can still hear Greek officials continue to deny any involvement.
Hundreds of pushback reports have been published by Aegean Boat Report over the last 19 months. Since March 2020 we have documented 637 pushback cases involving 17.775 people. In the same period 332 life rafts has been found drifting in the Aegean Sea, carrying 5700 people.
332 life rafts found drifting in the Aegean see, carrying 5700 vulnerable people, and nobody is asking questions. It’s time for the European Commision to take of their blindfolds and open their eyes, we can no longer tolerate these authorities to continue on European soil.
