ATHENS, Greece — Authorities in Greece have recovered four bodies from the sea close to the eastern Aegean island of Rhodes. In addition, 25 individuals were found alive on land after a smuggler reportedly forced them into the water while transferring them from Turkey to Greece, based on information released by the coast guard on Wednesday.
The coast guard reported that the bodies, which included three men and one woman, were retrieved near the southern coast of Rhodes early on Wednesday. Meanwhile, police discovered the group of 25 survivors on land, initially finding 11 individuals shortly after midnight and locating the remaining survivors shortly thereafter.
According to the accounts of the survivors, they were attempting to reach Rhodes from the nearby Turkish coast via speedboat when the smuggler operating the vessel ordered them into the water before abandoning them. Following these revelations, the coast guard ended the search and rescue operations by Wednesday afternoon after confirming with the survivors that no additional individuals were unaccounted for.
The nationalities of the affected passengers have not yet been disclosed. This tragic incident marks another fatal occurrence involving migrants attempting to enter the European Union via sea routes, either from Turkey or across the Mediterranean from North Africa.
Greece has become a preferred entry point into the European Union for many fleeing conflict and poverty in regions such as Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Thousands of migrants typically arrive on Greek islands using smuggling vessels from Turkey, while others take the longer and perilous journey across the Mediterranean from North Africa.
In response to the escalating arrivals by sea, Migration Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos has indicated that the government is advocating for more stringent EU migration policies. He noted that plans are underway to potentially establish detention facilities on the islands of Rhodes and Crete, particularly since the influx of arrivals has more than doubled since last fall.
By early November, over 50,000 migrants were recorded as having reached Greece, with more than 43,000 of these arriving by sea, according to data released by the U.N. refugee agency.
