Watch the Med
Development WTM site07/12/22: Around 50 people stranded on Lesvos, 13 were assisted due to health issues and brought to the camp while 34 people were pushed back in 2 life rafts
08.12.2022 / 14:06 / Eastern Med
Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 7th of December 2022
Case name: 2022_12_06_Eastern Med_1081
Situation: Around 50 people stranded on Lesvos, 13 assisted due to health issues and brought to the camp, 34 people pushed back in 2 life-rafts
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Eastern Med / Aegean Sea
Summary of the Case:
In the late morning of 7 December 2022, we were alerted by relatives to a group of approximately 50 people, including 18 children who had stranded in the north of the island of Lesvos. We managed to get in touch with the people who are very afraid, because they had already experienced pushbacks in the past as they report. According to them, the group had split up after arrival and in their part of the group, there is a sick baby that needs medical assistance.
At 12:20 CET we managed to receive a location from the people and at 12:23 CET we alerted Greek authorities and several NGOs via email.
At 12:34 CET we received an answer from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) via email, stating they would go to the location to provide medical aid to the people in need.
At 14:25 CET the relatives contacted us again, explaining that the people split up and are now three groups. They report one group was arrested by police. Two different groups are at the same area but in different places.
At 16:45 CET we receive the confirmation by MSF that they found 13 people. At 17:00 CET relatives inform us that most of the people from the group were arrested by the police, one family is missing.
At 18:55 CET we call the Turkish coast guard. They state they have an ongoing rescue at the moment, and that they were informed about that case by the Hellenic coast guard. Later on, they confirm they have found a total of 34 people in 2 life rafts off the coast of Ayvacık district of Çanakkale province, pushed back to Turkish territorial waters from the Greek side.
We could not manage to reestablish contact with the part of the group that had been pushed back to Turkey and so we could not get their detailed report about the pushback that had happened after the people had already arrived on the island of Lesvos.
Case name: 2022_12_06_Eastern Med_1081
Situation: Around 50 people stranded on Lesvos, 13 assisted due to health issues and brought to the camp, 34 people pushed back in 2 life-rafts
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Eastern Med / Aegean Sea
Summary of the Case:
In the late morning of 7 December 2022, we were alerted by relatives to a group of approximately 50 people, including 18 children who had stranded in the north of the island of Lesvos. We managed to get in touch with the people who are very afraid, because they had already experienced pushbacks in the past as they report. According to them, the group had split up after arrival and in their part of the group, there is a sick baby that needs medical assistance.
At 12:20 CET we managed to receive a location from the people and at 12:23 CET we alerted Greek authorities and several NGOs via email.
At 12:34 CET we received an answer from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) via email, stating they would go to the location to provide medical aid to the people in need.
At 14:25 CET the relatives contacted us again, explaining that the people split up and are now three groups. They report one group was arrested by police. Two different groups are at the same area but in different places.
At 16:45 CET we receive the confirmation by MSF that they found 13 people. At 17:00 CET relatives inform us that most of the people from the group were arrested by the police, one family is missing.
At 18:55 CET we call the Turkish coast guard. They state they have an ongoing rescue at the moment, and that they were informed about that case by the Hellenic coast guard. Later on, they confirm they have found a total of 34 people in 2 life rafts off the coast of Ayvacık district of Çanakkale province, pushed back to Turkish territorial waters from the Greek side.
We could not manage to reestablish contact with the part of the group that had been pushed back to Turkey and so we could not get their detailed report about the pushback that had happened after the people had already arrived on the island of Lesvos.
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