Greece boat disaster: Overcrowded migrant boat sinks

On Wednesday, a fishing boat overcrowded with migrants trying to reach Europe sank off the coast of southern Greece. The authorities have stated that at least 78 are dead and hundreds missing. Some of the survivors have informed that as many as 750 people may have been on board, with reportedly a hundred children in the hold.

Greece has called it one of the biggest-ever migrant tragedies and has announced three days of mourning. Offers of aid were refused, however, they are facing claims of not doing enough to help, the authorities said. 

The Greek coastguard reported that the boat capsized about 80 km, south-west of Pylos after 02:04 on Wednesday morning, local time. The earlier confirmed death count of 79 was reduced to 78.

According to Frontex, the EU’s border agency, the vessel was spotted early on Tuesday afternoon, and the agency immediately informed the Italian and Greek authorities. It was later informed by the Coast Guard that no one aboard was wearing life jackets.

According to a report by the Coast Guard, the initial contact with the fishing boat was made at 14:00 (11:00 GMT) and no call for help was made. It said that repeated contacts were made by the Greek shipping ministry. However, they were repeatedly told that they wanted to sail to Italy. Food and water were provided at around 18:00 by a Maltese ship and another boat supplied water three hours later. 

At around 1:40 on Wednesday, the Greek coastguard was said to have been notified by someone on board that the boat’s engine had malfunctioned. Shortly after the information was passed on the vessel capsized and took only 10 to 15 minutes to sink totally. A search and rescue mission was operationalised, however, it was interrupted by strong winds. 

An emergency helpline for migrants troubled at sea, Alarm Phone, has informed that the coastguard knew that the ship was in distress for hours before help was sent and that the authorities were made aware by different sources that the vessel was unstable.

Assumptions are being made that people might have been wary of facing Greek authorities because of the country’s appalling and systematic pushback practices.

The vessel is thought to have been moving from Libya to Italy with most of the passengers aboard being men in their 20s. The nationalities of the victims have not yet been confirmed. 

More than a hundred have been rescued and the survivors have been transported to Kalamata many were taken and treated in hospital for hyperthermia and other small injuries. ERT, a public broadcaster, reported that three people were suspected of being the traffickers and were moved to the central Port authority in Kalamata for interrogation. 

Katerina Sakellaropoulou, the President of Greece visited some of the survivors and expressed her grief for the drowned. Every year, hundreds of migrants die, trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea. Yiorgos Michaelidis, an official of the Migration Ministry of Greece has proposed a solid EU migration policy multiple times, to facilitate the acceptance of people who are really in need into the territory, and not just the people who have the resources to pay the smugglers.

He stated that the smugglers now decide who comes to Europe. He said that it is a matter of the EU to provide asylum and refuge, health and safety for those who need it. It is not a problem of particular countries like Greece, Cyprus or Italy. The EU should implement a solid migration policy. According to the UN data, more than 70,000, refugees and migrants have arrived at the borders of Europe in 2024 with most of them landing in Italy.