12/10: Arrival on Samos – two people referred to the hospital

13.10.2022 / 18:21 / Eastern Med

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 12th of October 2022
Case name: 2022_10_12-Eastern Med - 1034
Situation: eight people arrived on Samos – two people were referred to the hospital
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded Place of Incident: Eastern Med – Aegean Islands

Summary of the Case:

On early afternoon of October 12th, 2022, the Alarm Phone was contacted by a group of people who landed on the island of Samos and were asking for help. At 14:34 CEST, we informed authorities and various NGO’s about the group of 8 people and indicated they need medical assistance. At 15:28 CEST, we received an email from Medicins sans Frontières (MSF) informing us that they will send a team to the location provided. At 17:34 CEST, MSF confirmed by mail that they had found the group in need of assistance and provided medical and humanitarian assistance. One man and one pregnant woman were referred to the hospital.

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