26/01/2024 : 57 people stranded on Lesvos before being rescued by MSF

25.01.2024 / 20:01 / Eastern Med

Watch the Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 26th of January 2024
Case name: 2024_01_26-Eastern Med - 039
Situation: 57 people (including 16 men, 16 women, and 25 children) found by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Eastern Med

Summary of the Case:
In the very early morning of the 26th of January, the Alarm Phone was alerted by a group of 57 people, including 25 children, 16 men and 16 women, who had arrived on the island of Lesvos in Greece. We were informed that some of them were injured and in need of urgent medical assistance, one woman suffered a miscarriage.
At 07:00 CET we sent an Email to inform Greek authorities, Frontex and NGOs on the island of the group’s situation and location, informing them that the people needed medical attention and wanted to claim asylum in Greece. Shortly after we received a new position from the group, which we passed on to the relevant authorities and NGOs at 09:13 CET via Email.
Some time later we learned that the group was found by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

Last update: 20:04 Jun 07, 2025

Credibility:

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