Migrants refuse to be rescued by the Greek coast guard in the Ionian Sea

The Greek Coast Guard said on Sunday, October 2, that migrants on a boat in distress in the Ionian Sea had refused to rescue them for fear of being returned illegally. The coast guard said the group of 56 asylum seekers who were on a boat encountered problems on Saturday amid strong winds near the island of Kefalonia.

“Throughout the day, the migrants claimed over the radio that they would not accept any help from nearby boats or from the Greek authorities.Coast Guard said in a press release. They added that only after dark, and as the weather conditions worsened, the migrants agreed to be rescued by a Singapore-flagged tanker.

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The Greek coast guard said it had rescued about 1,500 people since the beginning of the year in Greek waters. But human rights groups have calculated that hundreds of others have been unlawfully rejected without being allowed to apply for asylum. Greece denies this claim. The migrants were accommodated in the port of Igoumenitsa and searches for other asylum seekers continue. Their nationality was not immediately disclosed.

see also – Shipwreck off the coast of Syria: At least 86 migrants died, most of them Lebanese