Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations –3rd August 2022

Case name: 2022_08_03 -AEG956

Situation: Pushback to Turkey

Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded

Place of Incident: Eastern Med

Summary of the Case: On the 3rd August 2022, at 14:38 CEST our hotline was alerted by a family member to a boat close to the island of Rhodes. The family member informed the shift that their brother and cousin had been close to the island when he lost contact with them around 11:00. Before they had lost contact with them, the relative had been told water was coming into the boat and had helped the travellers to contact a local water sports company in the hope they would help them. The family member informed Alarm Phone that shortly before they lost contact, the travellers said they could see a boat approaching. Alarm Phone alerted the Hellenic Coast Guard about the case via email (at 15:51 CEST) and phone (at 15:19 CEST). The Rhodes Coast Guard informed Alarm Phone they were not aware of the boat and had not rescued it. The family member was sure the travellers had reached Rhodes, and our hotline continued to investigate if this could have happened.

Alarm Phone called the Turkish Coast Guard (TCG) in the morning of the 4th of August, who already knew of the case via UNHCR, and advised that had found 4 boats in the area that morning. Alarm Phone later made contact with one of the travellers who told our hotline that they had their belongings stolen, and were beaten, by the HCG before being pushed back and found by the TCG. They testified that they were taken back to Muğla detention centre and deported to Iraq after 18 days, where they were left at the border for days and where they fear for their life.