Witnesses reveal that Greek coast guard threw immigrants into the sea to die

Greece's coast guard has been accused of being responsible for several migrant deaths in the Mediterranean over three years. Despite the accusations, the coast guard categorically denied the allegations and assured that its employees act with professionalism and respect for human life.

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More than 40 people who reportedly lost their lives after being forced to leave Greek territorial waters - Photo Reproduction/Getty Images/BBC

In recent days, the international community has been shaken by shocking allegations against the Greek coast guard. According to information from witnesses, Greece's coast guard is blamed for several migrant deaths in the Mediterranean over three years, including nine cases where people were deliberately thrown overboard. These nine individuals are among more than 40 people who reportedly lost their lives after being forced to leave Greek territorial waters or being taken back to sea after landing on the Greek islands, as reported by the British news agency BBC.

A former Greek coast guard official watched video footage of 12 people being placed on a Greek coast guard boat and later abandoned in a dinghy. As he stood up from his chair, with his microphone still on, he stated that such an act was "clearly illegal" and constituted "an international crime". Long time, the Greek government has been accused of carrying out forced returns, which is considered illegal under international law. These actions consist of forcing people to return to Turkey, their country of origin, even if they have previously left the place.

Reports and Investigation

According to the investigation conducted by the British news agency, of the 15 incidents analyzed dated May 23, 2020, there were 43 deaths. The main sources of initial information were the local press, NGOs and the Turkish coast guard. According to the news agency, verifying these reports is extremely difficult, as witnesses often disappear or are too afraid to speak. However, in four of these cases, it was possible to confirm the reports through interviews with witnesses. According to reports, in five situations, migrants claimed to have been thrown directly into the sea by Greek authorities.

In four of these cases, they explained how they managed to reach the Greek islands, but were detained. In several other episodes, migrants stated that they were placed in motorless inflatable boats, which were later deflated or appeared to have been damaged.. One of the most terrifying accounts was given by a Cameroonian national, who claims he was detained by Greek authorities as soon as he landed on the island of Samos in September 2021. He shared that, like all the individuals we interviewed, he had intended to register as an asylum seeker in Greece.

According to the Cameroonian, as soon as the boat docked, the police suddenly appeared from behind. Two police officers were dressed in black, while three others were in civilian clothes. All of them were masked, making it impossible to see their faces, only their eyes were visible. He and two other men, one from Cameroon and the other from Ivory Coast, were taken to a Greek coast guard boat, where events took a frightening turn.

“They started with the [other] Cameroonian. They threw him into the water. The man from Côte d'Ivoire said: 'Save me, I don't want to die'... and finally, only his hand was above the water, his body was under (water). Slowly, his hand went down, and the water swallowed him,” said the survivor.

He reports that the kidnappers attacked and beat him violently, punching him several times in the head. The intensity of the blows was so brutal that it felt like they were punching an animal.. He then reports that they pushed him into the water without a life jacket. Despite this, he managed to swim to shore, while the bodies of Sidy Keita and Didier Martial Kouamou Nana were found on the Turkish coast.

Context of the Migration Crisis

Greece, located on the front line of the migration route to Europe, has been a crucial entry point for thousands of immigrants and refugees fleeing conflict and persecution in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. EU immigration policies have been criticized for their harsh and sometimes inhumane approach. Last year, Europe recorded a total of 263,048 arrivals by sea, with Greece receiving 41,561 (16%) of these arrivals. In 2016, Turkey signed an agreement with the European Union to prevent the passage of migrants and refugees to Greece, however, in 2020, it announced that it would no longer be able to apply such a measure.

According to human rights groups, there are allegations that thousands of people seeking asylum in Europe have been illegally forced to return from Greece to Turkey, being denied their right to seek asylum, which is guaranteed under international law and the Union. European. Fayad Mulla, an Austrian activist, revealed that he discovered for himself how clandestine these operations appear to be in February last year, on the Greek island of Lesbos.

He was approached by a man wearing a hood while driving towards the location where he was allegedly forced to return after receiving a tip. It later turned out that the man in the hood was a police officer. The officer mentioned that the police tried to erase the video that recorded the approach on his car dashboard camera, as well as accusing him of resisting police authority. However, no further measures were taken in the end.

Two months later, in a similar place, Mulla recorded a forced return on video that was published by The New York Times. A group, made up of women and babies, got out of an unmarked van and walked along a pier to a small boat. They were then transferred to a Greek coast guard vessel, far from the coast, and taken to the high seas. They were later placed on a raft, where they were abandoned to their fate.

Response from Greek Authorities

The survivor's lawyers demand that Greek authorities open a double homicide case. Greek law allows all asylum-seeking migrants to register their application at special registration centers on several islands. The Greek Coast Guard received the findings of the investigation and stated that its employees worked tirelessly with maximum professionalism, sense of responsibility and respect for human life and fundamental rights. Furthermore, they assured that they were fully complying with the country's international obligations.

The Greek Coast Guard also reported that in the period 2015 to 2024, it rescued a total of 250,834 refugees/migrants in 6,161 maritime incidents. The exemplary performance of this important mission has received positive recognition from the international community. Previously, the Greek coast guard came under fire for its involvement in the biggest migrant shipwreck in the Mediterranean in ten years.

More than 600 people are believed to have lost their lives after the boat Adriana sank in the delimited rescue area of ​​Greece in June last year. Greek authorities stated that there were no problems with the boat and that it was sailing safely towards Italy, which is why the coast guard did not carry out a rescue operation.