Frontex informed Greece before the disaster
In a statement to the German Süddeutsche Zeitung, Frontex director Leijtens said it is extremely sad and the situation is very dramatic because there has been another tragic accident that saw the fishing vessel. As was our duty, we reported the ship to the local authorities. It is extremely sad that the ship sank on Wednesday and there was another tragic accident.” saying.
Leijtens stressed that he flew directly to Greece to clarify exactly what happened and how they could provide further protection.
“LEGAL MIGRATION SHOULD BE FACILITATED”
Expressing that he does not believe that the pressure of irregular migration in Europe will decrease in the coming years, Leijtens affirmed that the reasons for fleeing, such as poverty, will not change as quickly, saying: “We must be prepared for a longer period in which there will be a large number of migrations. So we must try to prevent people from diverting illegally, but at the same time facilitate legal migration. We also need effective and humane responses.” he performed the assessment of it.
“SO MANY PEOPLE SHOULD BE AVOIDED ON THIS DANGEROUS JOURNEY”
Frontex director Leijtens made the following assessment on the question that “NGOs have doubts about the usefulness of state rescue teams and rescue ships belonging to NGOs are being detained by the authorities”:
“Of course any ship can be saved. Not just state ships. But I can understand that the authorities want to bring order out of chaos. Last week an NGO said they have boats and want to help. Well in principle. But such an operation needs coordination. That is why there are rescue centers that embark boats and make sure that not everyone gets on the same boat. I prefer to defend a different strategy. May this strategy prevent so many people from embarking on this perilous journey. More prevention instead of more resilience.”
Advocating that human traffickers were paid $2,000 per person in the past, this amount has dropped to $500 today, emphasizing the importance of policy support in this regard, saying: “You shouldn’t wait for the boats to arrive. We have to do more to make them go away. We should help people to live a good life in their home country and invest more in their living conditions.” he used his statements.
9 PEOPLE ARRESTED
The Greek Radio and Television Corporation ERT announced that nine people arrested are Egyptian citizens.
It was claimed that the Egyptians were charged with setting up a criminal organization and smuggling illegal immigrants, while the ship’s captain was among those who lost their lives.
In the news, it was claimed that the ship left Egypt and headed towards Italy after stopping for a while in the Tobruk region of eastern Libya. It was claimed that around 100 children were in the ship’s hold.
The Non-Governmental Organization, Save The Children, pointed out on its social media account that there were statements from eyewitnesses that some 100 children could have been trapped in the hold of the boat, which capsized yesterday.
In the news that was reflected in the Greek media, a patient on the ship was reported as saying that there were around 100 children in the ship’s hold.
According to the information received from the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum, there are 8 unaccompanied children among the 104 people rescued.
SHOWS ORGANIZED IN ATHENS
A clash broke out between police and protesters during a protest in Athens, the capital of Greece, due to the migrant boat disaster that killed 79 people.
The European Union’s (EU) immigration policies were blamed for the event, which carried banners reading “Open the borders” and “Your system is killing.”
A group of hooded policemen, separated from the protesters, attacked the police with stones and Molotov cocktails. The police responded using tear gas and stun grenades. One person was arrested during the incident.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Yesterday, a fishing boat carrying irregular migrants capsized in international waters 47 nautical miles from Navarino in the Peloponnese of Greece.
In the incident, 79 people lost their lives and 104 people were rescued and brought to the port of Kalamata.
The Greek Coast Guard announced that 47 of the refugees were Syrian citizens, 43 Egyptians, 12 Pakistanis and 2 Palestinians.
According to Alarm Phone, a non-profit organization, there are about 700 people on board.
Search and rescue efforts are still ongoing. (AA)