02/06: 2 boats with ~85 people heading to North-Lesvos, rescued by Turkish coast guard reportedly after being pushed back by Greek coast guard

03.06.2020 / 15:04 / Aegean Sea

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 2nd of June 2020

Case name: 2020_06_02-AEG673
Situation: two boats with ~85 people were reportedly pushed back by Greek and pulled back by Turkish coast guard
Status of WTM Investigation: concluded
Place of Incident: Aegean Sea

Summary of the Case:
On 2nd of June 2020 the Alarm Phone was called at 11:10h CEST by travellers on a boat in the Aegean Sea. The travellers stated to be in the water since 4 hours. 10 minutes later they sent a GPS position showing them in Greek waters. The Alarm Phone learned that their engine was cut and the fuel stolen, pictures showed the destroyed engine as well as a vessel of the Greek coast guard nearby and another boat with travellers. The travellers on the phone stated that a vessel of what they assumed to be the Greek coast guard had come and cutted the cable and stole the fuel. At 11:43h the Alarm Phone called the Greek coast guard to forward the information about the boat in distress. An email was sent later on also to the UNHCR in Greece and Turkey. One hour later the Alarm Phone called RSC Mytilene to ask for updates. RSC Mytilene stated that the Turkish coast guard is rescuing one boat at the moment and will continue with the second boat as well. When Alarm Phone told them about the fact that the boats have been in Greek waters they said this must have been false information. At 14:33h the Turkish coast guard was called who gave the information that two boats with in total 85 people have been rescued. They also gave the information that the Greek coast guard had transferred the travellers in Turkish waters. The boats were brought to Ҫanakkale.
We are still investigating the detailed developments and will include potential updates into this report.

Twitter chronology:
12:32h https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1267766068375928834
13:12h https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1267776119320739840
15:06h https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1267804833303625729
Last update: 13:40 Oct 23, 2020
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