21/04: Traveller gives birth, then boat pushed-back to Turkey

22.04.2022 / 10:26 / Eastern Med

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 21st of April 2022

Case name: 2022_04_21-EM885

Situation: 23 travellers in Greek SAR, pushed-back then rescued to Izmir by Turkish Coastguard

Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded

Place of Incident: Eastern Med

Summary of the Case:

In the very early morning of the 21st of April 2022, Alarm Phone received a call by a worried relative, alerting us to a group of 4 women- including one who was pregnant, 4 children and 15 men in distress who had departed from Turkey. The caller told us that the boat was in danger and needed help, we directly contacted the boat who gave us their position (in the Greek SAR zone) and asked for help. So immediately contacted the Hellenic Coastguards at 03:47 CET and relayed the information. At 4:30 CET we called back the Hellenic Coastguard who argued that the boat is in Turkish waters and not their responsibility. So we called the Turkish Coastguard who said its no their responsibility because the boat is in Greek waters, and that there are Greek Coastguard boats in the vicinity. At 07:20 CET we received a call from the travellers telling us that one woman has given birth on the boat, and another person fell over the side of the boat, they desperately needed rescuing.

We called Hellenic Coastguard again with this information, but they say they are investigating. At 13:40 CET we get news from Turkish Coastguard that they have picked up all 23 travellers.

Twitter/news link: https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1517022954047082496

https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1517120924419608581

https://www.sg.gov.tr/izmir-aciklarinda-23-duzensiz-gocmen-kurtarilmistir-22-04-22-
Last update: 09:25 Nov 14, 2022
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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