Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 6th of February 2024

Case name: 2024_02_06-EASTERN MED - 59 

Situation: 38 people attacked and robbed of their motor by "masked men", brought back to Turkey

Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded

Place of Incident: Eastern Med

Summary of the Case:
In the morning of the 6th of February, the Alarm Phone was contacted by a relative, whose family was traveling among a group of 38 people, including 10 children. The relative was in touch with the group when they reported that they were in Turkish waters near Lesvos, then lost contact for some time but was contacted by the group again, who told the relative that they were in Turkey with the Turkish Coast Guard (TCG). Shortly after the relative told us that the group confirmed that they were on land in Dikili, where the police was controlling their documents. As the group was on land and it was not an ongoing distress case, there was no alert from Alarm Phone.

A week later we contacted a person from the group to send some info on helpful NGOs and to ask how they were. The person told us:

"Yes I was on the boat on 6.2. and there were 15 kids with us. Then the masked men from Greece came, attacked us and took our motor and put it in the sea. We could not go on and so we called the TCG to pick us, as we could not move."

The "masked men from Greece" have in other cases been identified as units of the Greek Coast Guard in journalistic research on border violence.

They and their family had been forced to leave their home in Turkey because of the earthquake. Now their lives have been put at risk and their safety and human rights have been violated by the European Border policies. Open borders and safe passage now!