Aegean Boat Report records 50 pushback cases in Aegean Sea

Aegean Boat Report, an NGO that monitors people’s movement in the Aegen Sea says it registered 50 pushback cases in Aegean Sea in May 2024.

The organization, in statement titled: “28 Life Rafts Found Drifting In The Aegean Sea In May’
said: “In May Aegean Boat Report has registered 50 pushback cases in the Aegean Sea involving 1.226 people. This is the highest number of pushback cases registered in one month so far this year.

“Of the 4.204 people picked up by the Turkish coast guard in May, 29.2% had been pushed back by Greek authorities.

Of the 50 pushback cases we have registered in May, Greek authorities used life rafts as a tool for deportation in 22 of them, 522 people, men, women and children, were found drifting in a total of 28 life rafts. 44% of the pushback cases in May was performed by using life rafts as a tool for illegal deportations, the highest percentage registered.”

Pushback cases in May, according to the organization have increased 72.4% compared to April, the highest number of pushback cases so far this year.

“All the 28 life rafts found were made by the same manufacturer, Lalizas, from Piraeus, Greece, the same manufacturer who has a contract to provide equipment to the Greek Hellenic Coast Guard. Since 2020 the Greek Coast guard has used almost 1.500 of these life rafts to illegally deport over 25.000 people.

“To force people into life rafts and leave them helplessly drifting at sea is illegal, but seems to be of no concern for European politicians, as long as the Greek authorities get the job done, stop as many people as they can, by any means possible to enter “Festung Europa”, they are more than willing to look the other way.

European Parliament and Frontex is not only looking the other way, but also supporting and funding these illegal operations, all in the name of “border protection”, paid for by European taxpayers money.

“Perhaps for the same reason, there has been no investigation initiated by the European Parliament to investigate these life raft cases. Even when it was filmed by Fayad Mulla and published in The New York Times, there was no reaction, as if this isn’t happening.

To visualize the 28 life rafts and the 522 people forced into them by Greek authorities, we publish pictures taken from all the cases in March.

As an organization we publish a lot of statistics, but behind all these numbers there are real people, real human beings, just like you and me, all of equal value and importance. It’s easy to forget the people when we don’t see them, no faces, no eyes, just numbers, it’s as if they are not real, they don’t exist.

“Please look closely, and you will see that the people in these pictures are real, with hopes and dreams for the future, just like you and me, we are no different, we are the same.

Don’t pretend they don’t exist by looking away, it’s time to open your eyes.

Kudos to all of those who, on a daily basis, do their utmost to fend for the rights of people at our borders!”