At least 14 migrants have died off the Greek coast after their ship collided with a coast guard vessel off the island of Chios.
A coastguard official said they spotted a dingy transporting migrants towards Chios, which lies a few miles off the coast of Turkey and ordered them to turn back.
An official said: “The smugglers manoeuvred toward the coast guard vessel causing a collision.”
Local media reports rescuers have so far transported 24 illegal migrants, including a pregnant woman, and two coast guard officers, a man and a woman, to the hospital in Chios.
Witnesses reported that about 30-35 people were on board, a government official said.
The coast guard said that a search and rescue was underway with coast guard vessels, private boats and divers assisting the operation.
The Hellenic Coast Guard forces, in cooperation with the Hellenic Air Force, have already launched a search and rescue operation, as there are reports of missing persons.
A Super Puma helicopter is also participating in the operation, conducting flights over the incident area using thermal cameras to locate any potential survivors at sea.
The Hellenic Coast Guard forces are working at the scene
Greece, in the southeast corner of the European Union, has long been a favoured gateway to Europe for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
In 2015-2016, Greece was at the frontline of Europe’s migration crisis and nearly one million people landed on its islands, including Chios, from Turkey.
In recent years, arrivals have dropped and Greece has toughened its stance on migrants.
Since 2019, the centre-right government has reinforced border controls with fences and sea patrols.
Greece has long been reconciling with a migrant crisis
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Greece has come under scrutiny for its treatment of migrants and refugees approaching by sea, including one shipwreck in 2023 in which hundreds of migrants died after what witnesses said was the coastguard’s attempt to tow their trawler.
The EU border agency said last year that it was reviewing 12 cases of potential human rights violations by Greece, including some allegations migrants seeking asylum were pushed back from Greece’s frontiers.
Greece denies that it violates human rights or that it forcefully returns asylum seekers from its shores.
More to follow…
