12/04: 9 people stuck in Greece and pushed back

13.04.2021 / 13:22 / Aegean Sea

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 12th of April 2021

Case name: 2021_04_12-AEG782

Situation: 9 people stuck near the Greek Turkish landborder without food nor water, later they are probably pushed back

Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded

Place of Incident: Aegean Sea

Summary of the Case:

At 15:58 of April 12th we were informed by a group of 9 people that they are north of Alexandroupolis, Greece near the border. They didn't have food nor water since 7 days, the foot of one person was probably broken and there was one old man among them. They wanted us to call the police despite their fear of a pushback, as their situation was so miserable.

At 16:27 we called the Tychero police station, but they didnt speak english. So we called the department of coordinated border management (PEKODISME) in Alexandropoulis, they promised to inform the police. We informed all other responsible authorities via email.

After telling us they want to go to the next village we lost contact to the traveling group at 18:15.

We called the department of coordinated border management (PEKODISME) in Alexandropoulis several times to ask for updates but they only repeat they do all they can. When we mentioned that, in the past, when we lost contact with the people, they ended up back in Turkey after getting beaten up and illegally pushed back, they say "no, no, this does not happen".

We kept trying to call the people on the move the whole night, but couldn't establish contact. Some days later we we were informed by a relative that the travelers are indeed back in Istanbul, which means another illegal pushback took place.
Last update: 00:59 Aug 25, 2021
Credibility: UP DOWN 0
Layers »
  • Border police patrols
     
    While the exact location of patrols is of course constantly changing, this line indicates the approximate boundary routinely patrolled by border guards’ naval assets. In the open sea, it usually correspond to the outer extent of the contiguous zone, the area in which “State may exercise the control necessary to prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws” (UNCLOS, art. 33). Data source: interviews with border police officials.
  • Coastal radars
     
    Approximate radar beam range covered by coastal radars operating in the frame of national marine traffic monitoring systems. The actual beam depends from several different parameters (including the type of object to be detected). Data source: Finmeccanica.
  • Exclusive Economic Zone
     
    Maritime area beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea in which the coastal state exercises sovereign rights for the purposes of exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing the natural resources, whether living or non-living, the seabed and its subsoil and the superjacent waters. Its breadth is 200 nautical miles from the straight baselines from which the territorial sea is measured (UNCLOS, Arts. 55, 56 and 57). Data source: Juan Luis Suárez de Vivero, Atlas of the European Seas and Oceans
  • Frontex operations
     
    Frontex has, in the past few years, carried out several sea operations at the maritime borders of the EU. The blue shapes indicate the approximate extend of these operations. Data source: Migreurop Altas.
  • Mobile phone coverage
     
    Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network coverage. Data source: Collins Mobile Coverage.
  • Oil and gas platforms
     
    Oil and gas platforms in the Mediterranean. Data source:
  • Search and Rescue Zone
     
    An area of defined dimensions within which a given state is has the responsibility to co-ordinate Search and Rescue operations, i.e. the search for, and provision of aid to, persons, ships or other craft which are, or are feared to be, in distress or imminent danger. Data source: IMO availability of search and rescue (SAR) services - SAR.8/Circ.3, 17 June 2011.
  • Territorial Waters
     
    A belt of sea (usually extending up to 12 nautical miles) upon which the sovereignty of a coastal State extends (UNCLOS, Art. 2). Data source: Juan Luis Suárez de Vivero, Atlas of the European Seas and Oceans

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