Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations - 8th of August 2015

Case name: 2015_08_08-AEG34
Situation: Presumably 2 vessels approached by armed and masked Greek coastguards who took away the patrol and money of the travellers in one case; after hours in distress at sea, both vessels were rescued by the Turkish coastguard
Status of WTM Investigations: Open
Place of Incidents: Aegean Sea, Greece

Summary of the case: On the Saturday the 8th of August 2015, in the morning, the Alarm Phone was notified by Nawal Soufi’s activist collective about a distress situation in the Aegean Sea. They told our shift team that a group of travellers, in total about 25 people, had been stopped at sea by armed Greek coastguards who stole their money and took way their petrol. The coastguard left them behind in the middle of the sea. At first, the travellers themselves could not be reached. We then contacted the Greek coastguard and they merely stated that the vessel was still in Turkish water so that we should turn to the Turkish authorities. A few hours later the activist collective informed us that they had been able to re-establish direct contact to the passengers who had already been saved by the Turkish coastguard and been returned to Turkey.

In the early evening we were able to establish direct contact, via WhatsApp, to one of the travellers who had been brought back to Turkey. He reported that they had been at sea for three hours until the Turkish coastguard found and rescued them. They were 25 people, including 3 women and 2 children. He clearly stated that the Greek coastguard took away their petrol, making it impossible for them to move on. Three armed men wearing face-masks “told us to raise our hands and then asked to have the gasoline”. He said that they handed it over as they were afraid for the children on board. Our contact person also reported that he met others who had been returned to Turkey and who had also been attacked, even more violently, by Greek coastguards. Following his account they had been approached by a small vessel that was part of a larger vessel and their patrol was taken away, too. Our contact person said that all the travellers were Syrians which they had also made known to the Greek coastguard.