02/11: 20 travellers stranded North of Lesvos, probably picked up by authorities

03.11.2020 / 10:06 / Aegean Sea

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

Case name: 20200211-AEG717

Situation: 20 travellers stranded in North of Lesvos

Status of WTM Investigation: Still investigating

Place of Incident: Aegean Sea

Summary of the Case:

On 2nd of November 2020 in the morning the Alarm Phone was alerted to a group of 20 to 25 travellers who got stuck in the North of Lesvos, among them also women and children. One person got injured when they were climbing the rocks, moreover the people were wet and freezing. The Alarm Phone alerted the Greek coastguard, as well as Frontex, the responsible NATO officer and UNHCR Turkey and Greece via email at 09:52h. In the email all information were provided, also the wish from the travellers to seek asylum. Some minutes later the Alarm Phone called the UNHCR office in Athens to assure that they know about the case. The travellers were advised to call the office by themselves. A call to RSC Mitilini at 10:08h brought to light that they already found 4 people and were now searching for the rest. Alarm Phone texted with the travellers and received a new GPS position as they went to a road to be more visible. The position was forwarded to the authorities. Contact was lost to the travellers later on.

We are still investigating the detailed developments and will include potential updates into this report.

Alarm Phone on Twitter:

11:25h https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1323209528356208640

Last update: 16:02 Feb 16, 2021

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