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One dead, seven missing as boat capsizes near Kuşadası, Turkey

At least one refugee was killed and seven others are missing as their boat capsized near Kuşadası coast of Aydın province.
Coast guards could save 11 passengers of the boat, which was carrying 19 refugees.

Aydın Governor Erol Ayyıldız said in a statement that the adverse weather conditions could cause the incident and that coast guards as well as a helicopter and four rescue boats are looking for the missing passengers.

Ayyıldız said they still couldn’t identify the nationality of the immigrants.

todayszaman (in english)

Greek Coast Guard drowned refugees near Farmakonisi during push-back attempt

Source: Infowar English version source: expressed.org
Translator: Eleni Nicolaou

Eyewitnesses accuse the Greek Coast Guard of drowning migrants off the coast of the island of Farmakonisi on January 20th, 2013. 9 children and 3 women died!

survivors arriving in piraeus on 23.1.14

survivors arriving in piraeus on 23.1.14


“I am shocked and distressed by the new tragedy which occurred near Farmakonisi in which a number of migrants, including possible asylum seekers, have drowned or have gone missing in what appears to be a case of a failed collective expulsion,” Nils Muiznieks, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press.

“The Greek government has pledged last week to put an end to the illegal practice of collective expulsions and effectively investigate all such cases. I urge them to implement their promise.”

As UNHCR reports: “According to survivors’ testimonies, the Coast Guard boat towing their vessel was heading, at high speed, towards the Turkish coast, when the tragic incident happened amid rough seas. The same witnesses said people were screaming for help, since there was a large number of children on the boat”.
International organisations have condemned, several times, the refoulement policy against migrants entering Greece without papers.
Video showing how the survivors arrive on LEros with coast guard escort while being in a devastated state


video showing the arrival of the survivors in Piraeus / Athens 23.1.14 and their shocking witness accounts
Continue reading ‘Greek Coast Guard drowned refugees near Farmakonisi during push-back attempt’

Documentary: Watch “Readmitted”

by Paolo Martino

SYNOPSIS
Saddam, Hamza and Omar have travelled for thousands of kilometers, passing through the wars of Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa and the Middle East. Once in Greece, close to the Europe they dream of, they have to spend months around the port of Patras attempting to board the ferries that cross the Adriatic Sea. The courage they show crossing the sea, however, has no relevance for the Italian port authority: spotted in the harbor during disembarkation, the migrants are forced to return to the same ferry and are immediately pushed back to Greece (technically “readmitted”), in violation of the rights of refugees and asylum seekers.
Riammessi (Readmitted)’s, the new ZaBit, première will be screened on November 14, at 11 am, during the presentation of “Porti insicuri”, report on the readmissions from Italian ports towards Greece and on the violation of migrants’ fundamental rights, organized by Doctors for Human Rights in collaboration with ASGI. On November 14, Riammessi (Readmitted) will also be visible online on the website www.zalab.org.

Watch the documentary “Readmitted”

Statistics New Asylum Service Greece 2013

The new asylum service reached now its first six months of functioning in Athens. Also in Fylakio, Alexandroupoli and Lesvos three asylum offices were opened meanwhile. Soon also in Rhodes (end of 2013), later in 2014 in Thessaloniki, Samos, Chios, Iraklio/ Crete and Patra asylum offices will open.

Statistics (7.6. – 29.11.13)

– 4.189 asylum applications were registered of which 3.162 were male applicants, 1.027 female and 171 unaccompanied minors (4,1% of total)
– 1.670 first instance decisions were taken and 411 were cut
– 213 received a protection status (12,8% of the applicants) of which 149 were recognised as political refugees and 64 received subsidiary protection
– 24,9% of the positive first instance decisions concerned Syrians, 18,3% Afghans, 9,4% Eritreans, 8% Sudanese, 6,1% Iranians and 5,6% Ethiopians
– the highest recognition rate concerns: 1. Syrians (98,1%), followed by Sudanese (89,5%), Eritreans (83,3%), Ethiopia (54,5%) and Afghanistan (47,6%)
– 1.457 applications were rejected in the first instance (87,2%)
– from 11.7.13 until 29.11 803 appeals were made, of which 462 were proceeded and 20 received a protection status while 442 were rejected
Continue reading ‘Statistics New Asylum Service Greece 2013’

Three refugees lost in Evros

Three refugees reported lost in Evros at the land border to Turkey. A group of refugees upon arrival reported them lost.

tvxs (in greek)

Refugee woman found dead at land border to Turkey

Refugee woman around 35-40 years old found dead – most likely due to cold – in Evros.

left.gr (in greek)

5 refugees drown on their way to Lesvos

A dinghy with 13 Syrian refugees got in distress near the Turkish coast. 5 refugees drowned, among them a 2-month-old baby. 9 persons were saved. They were heading towards Lesvos island.

newspost (in greek)
radikal.com(in turkish)

Push-back of 150 Syrians in Evros: An eye-witness speaks out

Efymerida ton Sindakton published today a witness account of one of the Syrians who had disappeared on November 12th in Evros.

Read also respective announcement of UNHCR

We implored them for help, they threw us in the river
by Dimitris Angelidis
potami-sinora-apagoreumeni-zoni-342x230

International report – catapults

The systematic and extended application of the illegal practice of readmissions has been registered in a series of reports by international organisms and organizations in the last years. Nevertheless the Greek authorities ostentatiously ignore the allegations, creating a regime of impunity which closes their eyes when it comes to massive violations of fundamental rights of migrants and refugees.
According to the report of Amnesty International “Frontier Europe” which was published in July, the Commissioner Malmstrom expressed her big concern for the allegations and stated that if they are proved or continue “it is possible to lead to a suspension or termination of a part of or of all Frontex operations in the Greek-Turkish borders”.
The commissioner could have been more strict in her statements, if they wouldn’t reflect Europe’s shift into a more conservative migration and refugees’ policy. “Migrants who manage to cross the European borders, are often victims of push-backs” reported on Monday three international organizations on a common press release with the Hellenic League for Human Rights, that accuses the EU for promoting practices that penalize migrants and invest in border control, instead of creating reception structures. Continue reading ‘Push-back of 150 Syrians in Evros: An eye-witness speaks out’

IPS News: Syrian Refugees Illegally Pushed Back

by Apostolis Fotiadis

ATHENS, Nov 20 2013 (IPS) – Human rights groups have circulated evidence in the last few days indicating that Greece, Italy and Egypt illegally detain and push back Syrian refugees.

The reports were issued by the German refugee aid organisation Pro Asyl, Medici per i Diritti Umani – MEDU (Doctors for Human Rights – Italy), the Italian human rights lawyers Association for Legal Studies on Migration (ASGI), and Human Rights Watch
Continue reading ‘IPS News: Syrian Refugees Illegally Pushed Back’

Boat in distress near Lefkada leaves 12 dead until now

When the boat got in distress the reguees called the Hellenic coastguard. Upon arrival the boat had turned already around, 12 persons were found dead until now – among them four children. 15 persons could be saved. They informed the authorities that more people are missing.
iefimerida (in greek)