30/07: porbably poisoned person stuck in the Evros region

31.07.2022 / 13:15 / Eastern Med

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations –30th of July 2022

Case name: 2022_07_30 - Eastern Med 952

Situation: Unclear outcome, suspected pushback at the Greek landborder

Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded

Place of Incident: Evros Region

Summary of the Case: On the 30th of July 2022, The Alarm Phone hotline was contacted about a lone 55 year old man in the Evros region of Greece. We were told he was scared and feared he had been poisoned, as he was having trouble breathing and could not walk anymore. Alarm Phone alerted authorities by email at 17:47, and asked for urgent medical help, requesting an ambulance be sent directly. Frontex sent their standard reply that the information had been relayed to appropriate authorities. Alarm Phone called Metaxades border guard station at 22:29, who stated they would send a car to search for the man, but there was no confirmation if this took place or if the man was found. Alarm phone lost contact with the traveller, and the outcome is unclear.

However, we fear that he was pushed back in a group of 200 people reportedly pushed back during these days. (We reported on this here - Report on alarmphone.org: https://alarmphone.org/en/2022/09/07/a-dilemma-between-unbelievable-violence-and-death/?post_type_release_type=post)

Last update: 14:25 Dec 22, 2022

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