Chios, Greece. Greece’s coast guard said 15 migrants died in the Aegean Sea after their boat collided with a coast guard vessel off the island of Chios. A search and rescue operation was continuing, with 24 migrants rescued and two coast guard officers injured.
Collision and rescue operation
A coastguard official said officers spotted a dinghy transporting migrants toward Chios, which lies a few miles off the coast of Turkey, and ordered it to turn back. The official told Reuters that “the smugglers manoeuvred toward the coast guard vessel causing a collision.”
Reuters said it was unable to independently verify how the collision occurred, and the nationality of the migrants was not clear. A second official told Reuters that two coast guard officers were injured and transferred to hospital and that 24 migrants had been rescued.
Witnesses reported that about 30-35 people were on board, a government official said. The coast guard said the search and rescue operation involved coast guard vessels, private boats and divers.
Migration route and scrutiny
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 come under scrutiny for its treatment of migrants and refugees approaching by sea, including a shipwreck in 2023 in which hundreds of migrants died after what witnesses said was the coastguard’s attempt to tow their trawler.
What do you think should be the priorities for search and rescue operations in the Aegean Sea?
