Migrant boat sinks away Greek island of Lesbos
Two women were missing after a dinghy carrying dozens of people sank off the island of Lesbos on Wednesday, a Greek coastguard official said, as more migrants fleeing conflict and poverty try to enter Europe.
Thirty-two persons were rescued and a search operation was underway with the help of two helicopters and a Frontex vessel, the official told Reuters. Thousands of migrants and refugees employed Greece as the primary gateway to European countries through Turkey in 2015 and 2016, until a package between Ankara and the European Union reduced the flow over the Greek and Turkish territory and sea borders.
Sea crossings on overcrowded boats tend to be hazardous and the previous month, the Greek coastguard found the body of a good migrant near a good half-sunken vessel on the Aegean island of Rhodes. And in September at least three people drowned whenever a boat having migrants sank off the island of Crete. Turkey hosts more than three million refugees and migrants.
Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said the EU-Turkey deal had been violated and individual lives were being jeopardized. Citing individuals rescued, Mitarachi stated a Turkish boat possessed taken care of immediately a distress signal but didn't provide aid, instead of enabling "a great irregular crossing" through the EU's ocean border. Turkey's coastguard said it had intercepted a good vessel carrying migrants in the region on Tuesday and had taken 31 persons into custody. Greece and Turkey are at odds over a bunch of issues and regularly exchange accusations above the migration crisis.
