A recent BBC investigation into migration towards Greece claims that over the past three years, the actions of the Greek coast guard have resulted in the deaths of dozens of migrants. Despite the authorities’ denial, they have pledged to investigate every complaint thoroughly.
According to eyewitness accounts presented in the BBC documentary, at least nine migrants were reportedly thrown overboard by the Greek coast guard, leading to several drownings. The BBC analyzed 15 incidents from May 2020 to 2023, revealing a total of 43 deaths. The sources for these allegations included local media, NGOs, and the Turkish coast guard.
One particularly harrowing account comes from a migrant named Ibrahim*, who claimed he was shot at while landing on the island of Samos. He recounted how he and two other men were thrown into the sea by the coast guard, with only Ibrahim surviving. “They started with the Cameroonian,” he told the BBC in their film ‘Dead Calm: Killing in the Med?’ “They threw him into the water. The Ivorian said ‘Save me, I don’t want to die. Save me.'”
Another survivor, a Syrian man, described how the Greek coast guard picked up his group near Rhodes and left them adrift in life rafts in Turkish waters. Several people reportedly died when one of the rafts sank before the Turkish coast guard could rescue them.
The Greek government and coast guard have firmly denied these allegations. A spokesperson for the Greek government, Pavlos Marinakis, stated that these claims have not been proven but assured that each complaint would be investigated. He emphasized that the Hellenic coast guard saves dozens of lives daily and operates in full compliance with international laws and obligations.
Despite these denials, the center-left opposition party Syriza continues to call for an in-depth investigation. Giorgos Psychogios from Syriza told the BBC that they demand accountability, stressing the importance of valuing all human lives. He mentioned that their party had been accused of being “anti-Greek” and “provocateurs” for questioning the coast guard’s actions.
The BBC investigation also includes an interview with a former senior Greek coast guard officer who, off-camera, admitted that the actions shown in the footage were “obviously illegal” and an “international crime.”
The NGO Human Rights Watch described the investigation’s findings as “particularly horrifying” and urged for a full investigation to deliver justice to the victims and end the cycle of violence and impunity at Greece’s borders.
Data from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) shows that over 18,439 migrants have arrived in Greece this year, mostly from Turkey and some from North African countries like Egypt and Libya. In 2023, over 41,000 migrants arrived in Greece.