Smugglers trying to bring migrants from Turkey to Greece's eastern Aegean Islands tried to push some passengers into the sea over the weekend to avoid being captured by authorities, the Greek coast guard said.
Smugglers ferrying migrants from Turkey to Greek islands like Lesbos in the eastern Aegean Sea could be resorting to a new and dangerous tactic, the Greek coast guard claimed. In two cases over the weekend, migrants were reportedly forced off speedboats, presumably to avoid detainment. This was reported by the news agency dpa on Tuesday (August 27).
In the first incident, a Palestinian and an Afghan man driving a speedboat tried to ram a pursuing patrol boat off the island of Kos, according to the coast guard.
The men then allegedly forced five passengers to jump into the water and then escaped towards Kos as the coast guards stopped to save the migrants.
According to dpa, 30 migrants from the boat were later found on land; the two suspected smugglers were arrested.
Read more: 'Real migrant smugglers don't board the boats'
4,500 dollars from Turkey to Greece
In a second incident off the island of Symi, three migrants were allegedly knocked off the smuggling boat while being chased by the Greek coast guard, dpa reported citing the unit. The move gave the presumed smugglers time to return to Turkish waters; the Turkish coast guard then reportedly picked up the passengers who were left.
The three migrants rescued in Greek waters said they had paid 4,500 US dollars each to be taken from Turkey to Greece, dpa reported citing a Greek coast guard statement.
Last week, a Greek coast guard vessel opened fire on a migrant boat, killing one passenger. The incident occurred northwest of the island of Symi.
Read more: Migrants on sailing boat rescued off mainland Greece
Increasingly aggressive tactics
The incidents took place against the backdrop of smugglers using increasingly aggressive tactics to dodge Greece's tight policing of eastern Aegean waters. One example, according to dpa, is the use of speedboats instead of the flimsy inflatable dinghies with small engines they favored for years.
They have also followed new routes through the central Aegean, dpa reported. Moreover, the number of migrants making the much longer journey from Libya in northern Africa to the southern Greek island of Crete has increased lately.
Separately, on Tuesday, the Greek coast guard said a total of 42 people in two speedboats crossed from Turkey to the eastern Aegean Island of Leros. Among the migrants on the island were two suspected smugglers, who were arrested. A third suspect was taken into custody at sea following a chase, dpa reported citing a coast guard statement.
According to data from the United Nations' migration agency IOM, some 29,000 migrants have arrived irregularly in Greece so far this year, the vast majority of them by sea. That's slightly fewer than the numbers reaching Italy and Spain, the main gateways for people seeking protection trying to enter Europe.
Read more: Turkey rescued 116 migrants 'pushed back by Greece' in Aegean
with AP