Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 2nd of January 2024

Case name: 2024_01_02-Eastern Med - 001

Situation: 36 people on Lesvos, group of 8 split up, all arrived at camp

Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded

Place of Incident: Eastern Med

Summary of the Case:

In the early afternoon of the 2nd of January, Alarm Phone was alerted to a group of 36, including 10 young children, who had landed on Lesvos near Tsilia Beach. The group reported that they needed medical care, especially the young children.
At 14:40 CET we sent an email to Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Hellenic Coast Guard, Hellenic Police and other organisations alerting to the group.
At 14:50 CET MSF confirmed via email that a team will go to the group's position to provide assistance. In the next few hours we could not establish contact to the group, but heard from a relative that when MSF arrived, 28 of the people were being taken to a camp by the Hellenic Police, whereas 8 people went in hiding, likely in fear of a pushback from Greek authorities.
At 17:58 we sent another email to inform that there were still 8 people on site, including 2 of the children. The relative agreed to tell the people to stay near the road and call the police themselves.
At 22:07 CET we called the Lesvos police department to ask about an ongoing search for the group. The communication was difficult but we understood that the police was still searching.
At 23:20 CET we forwarded a new position of the group, received by the relative, as they had moved a bit due to network difficulties.
In the morning of the next day we learned from people of the first part of the group that the other 8 had also arrived at the camp.