Greece – Migrants Missing After their Boat Sank South of Rhodes

Dozens of migrants are still reported missing after a boat sank, while the Greek coast guard rescued 29 people on board in the Aegean Sea.

Dozens of people are missing after a boat carrying migrants sank near the Greek holiday island of Rhodes. A coast guard spokesman told Greek radio that 29 people had been rescued from the sea so far. But the spokesman said, citing those rescued, that there were a total of about 80 people on board when the boat sank about 40 nautical miles (74 km) south of Rhodes.

He pointed out that strong winds are hampering the ongoing rescue operation in the Aegean Sea. The search and rescue operation involved patrol boats from the coast guard, a Greek Navy ship, three transiting cargo ships and a helicopter.

Greece’s coast guard said most of the rescued people – all men – were from Afghanistan. The boat had set out from Turkey, where it was supposed to take people to Italy.

Another coast guard official, who asked not to be named, said the rescued migrants were Afghans, Iranians and Iraqis. The rickety boats are often damaged by strong winds and the extremely dangerous long route. Many boats have already become unable to maneuver or have leaked water and many people have died because of this.

Greece was on the front line in the European migration crisis in 2015-16, when a million refugees arrived via Turkey mainly from war and poverty in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. The number of immigrant arrivals has fallen sharply since then. But the Greek authorities say they have recently seen a significant increase in attempts to enter through the country’s islands and the land border with Turkey.