Human Rights Watch has reported that a fatal collision between a Greek Coast Guard vessel and a migrant boat near the Greek island of Chios has raised serious questions about the conduct of the coast guard in the sea.
Human Rights Watch has released a report following a tragic incident on March 3rd, where a collision between a Greek Coast Guard vessel and a migrant boat near the island of Chios resulted in the deaths of 15 people and injuries to 24 others, including 11 children. The organization has highlighted the troubling history of the Greek Coast Guard's practices and their failure to protect lives at sea. This latest incident has amplified scrutiny on their operational protocols amid concerns regarding marine safety concerning migrants.
Officials in Greece have quickly blamed the migrant boat and traffickers for the incident, a narrative that clashes with accounts from survivors. While the authorities assert that the migrant vessel collided with the coast guard ship, survivors describe a chaotic scene in which the larger vessel made perilous maneuvers at night and some claimed to have seen it pass over their boat. This disparity in narratives raises concerns regarding accountability and the veracity of the coast guard's statements about their engagement during the incident.
The incident has further fueled allegations regarding the Greek Coast Guard's dangerous behavior on the water and their repeated failures to uphold safety standards in migrant rescues. The Chios tragedy is reminiscent of the Pylos disaster in 2023, where over 600 individuals perished in a similarly chaotic scenario. Human Rights Watch's documentation of these events underscores a critical need for an examination and reform of the practices employed by the Greek Coast Guard to ensure the protection of lives in maritime situations involving vulnerable migrants.
