Over 2,250 people died or went missing in the Mediterranean Sea this year trying to reach Europe.
Many of these deaths occurred just in the last few months. According to the IOM (International Organization for Migration), in October the number of dead was closer to 1600.
In November, the United Nations refugee agency’s (UNHCR) representative in Greece expressed deep concern over the increasing number of migrant deaths in Greek waters, following another two tragic shipwrecks.
The latest shipwreck occurred this week off the coast of Rhodes, with 8 people losing their lives. The migrant ship sank after collision with a Rhodes Port Authority patrol boat.
There have been critiques that these deaths off of Rhodes were caused due to malfeasance on the part of the Greek authorities. Two SYRIZA politicians put out a statement claiming: “What happened this morning off the coast of Rhodes was not a ‘tragedy’ or an ‘accident’. Eight dead, 18 injured, an unknown number of missing persons. These people were found, according to reports, at sea in the midst of an operation by a Coast Guard vessel, which collided with the smugglers’ vessel.” They stated: “Our seas and our islands have been linked to the failed policy of managing the migration crisis.”
According to Frontex data, the border agency has detected over 63,900 border crossings along the Eastern Mediterranean route so far this year, in a slight increase from last year.
Many more boats are now traveling along dangerous routes like the 300-kilometer journey from the Libyan coast to the islands of Crete and Gavdos, according to Greek officials. Earlier this month dozens of people went missing in a shipwreck off the coast of Gavdos.
Refugees, journalists, and human rights organizations have accused Greece of systematically employing illegal pushbacks along its borders, particularly in the Mediterranean sea. The practice has been documented many times by local media on the islands and in the north and in international media such as the New York Times, Der Speigel, and BBC. It has been acknowledged and denounced by the Council of Europe, the International Organization for Migration, the UN Human Rights Committee, and the UNHCR.
