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Greece: Migrant boat tragedy leaves hundreds missing

June 15, 2023

Greek officials fear over 500 people may have been killed after a migrant boat capsized on Wednesday. The vessel had set off for Italy from Libyan shores a few days prior, with the boat sinking off the Greek coast.

https://p.dw.com/p/4ScIZ
A Greek coast guard ship docked in Kalamata, 240 kilometers (150 miles) southwest of Athens
Greek authorities are scouring the seas, but chances of finding additional survivors appear to be slimImage: Thanassis Stavrakis/AP/picture alliance

Greek rescue authorities continued search efforts in the seas off Greece on Thursday, after a migrant boat sunk in the region a day earlier.

The vessel had taken off from Libya earlier in the week and was set for Italy. The boat sank in the Ionian Sea off Greece on Wednesday, with Greek authorities having recovered 79 bodies so far.   

The UN's International Organization for Migration has estimated that the boat carried 700 to 750 migrants onboard. Only 104 people have been rescued so far, sparking fears that many more are dead.  

The Greek coastguard said nine survivors of the tragedy had been arrested on suspicion of human smuggling and stand accused of forming a criminal organization, state radio ERT reported.

Survivors under psychological distress 

The survivors come mainly from countries such as Syria, Egypt and Pakistan.  

UNHCR employee Erasmia Roumana told AFP news agency that many of the rescued migrants were "in a very bad psychological situation."

"Many are under shock, they are so overwhelmed," Roumana said. "Many of them worry about the people they traveled with, families or friends."     

Survivors of the capsized vessel speak with Red Cross volunteers in Kalamata, 240 kilometers (150 miles) southwest of Athens
Survivors of the shipwreck are worried about the safety of those they traveled with on the journeyImage: Thanassis Stavrakis/AP/picture alliance

A spokesperson for the Greek coast guard told state radio Thursday that neither further survivors or victims were found overnight. Greek government sources told Reuters news agency that chances are slim that further migrants will be found due to the depth of the sea. 

Children and pregnant women are believed to have been below deck on the boat when it capsized. They had little chance to escape once the vessel began to sink rapidly.  

Greece mourns amid differing accounts of shipwreck 

Greece has announced three days of mourning following the tragedy, with a special prosecutor tasked to look into the catastrophe. 

The Greek coast guard said Europe's border agency Frontex discovered the boat on Tuesday afternoon, but migrants had "refused any help." The coastguard said the boat could have sunken earlier if Greek authorities took action to intercept the vessel.

A photo provided by the Hellenic Coast Guard shows migrants onboard a boat amid rescue efforts off the Greek coast
Greek authorities are looking into the reasons behind the shipwreckImage: HELLENIC COAST GUARD/REUTERS

"You cannot divert a boat with so many people on board by force unless there is cooperation," Hellenic Coast Guard spokesman Nikos Alexiou said.    

Greek's former left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras disputed this account, saying the migrants had "called for help." Tsipras had spoken with survivors of the shipwreck.     

Pope Francis offers 'heartfelt prayers' to victims

The sinking has sparked international concern. 

Pope Francis said Thursday that he was "deeply dismayed" by the shipwreck. A telegram from the Vatican said Francis "offers heartfelt prayers for the many migrants who have died, their loved ones and all those traumatized by this tragedy."  

German migrant rescue NGO Sea-Watch blamed European anti-migrant policies as the cause of the tragedy. "How many more people have to die while Frontex and the whole European Union look on?" the NGO said.

Italy and Greece are two of the most frequent destinations for migrants seeking to enter the European Union.

Migrants from countries such as Egypt, Niger and Sudan often use Libya has a transit route to the Mediterranean, traversing the sea by inadequate, overcrowded boats to reach European shores. Human smugglers often transport the migrants for a exploitative fee, with no guarantee that they will survive the treacherous sea journey.  

wd/jcg (Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa)