Dozens of migrants drown in
weekend tragedies
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| A handout photo made available by the Turkish coast guard shows a diver searching for refugees (ANSA) |
Turkish authorities say eight children are among at least
the 11 migrants who drowned when their boat sank off Turkey's western coast.
The tragedy came hours after at least a dozen migrants drowned near the
south-western Greek island of Paxi. Despite the tragedies, many refugees still
want to use the Balkan route to enter more prosperous European Union nations.
By Stefan J. Bos
Turkey says only eight people were rescued from the waters
off Cesme, a tourist resort on the Aegean coast opposite the Greek island of
Chios. But at least 11 others drowned after their boat sank. The nationalities
of the dead and those rescued were not yet known.
Turkey has been a critical transit point for migrants trying
to reach Europe, mainly through Greece. Many are fleeing war, persecution, and
poverty in their troubled nations.
In a statement, the Turkish Coast Guard said it responded to
"screaming sounds" from the sea late Saturday. Cesme, where the
incident happened, is just 15 kilometers (nine miles) from Chios, where
thousands of migrants are living in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.
The number of people crossing from Turkey has risen sharply
recently. Most of them are coming from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Syria. They
often rely on people smugglers and face dangerous land and sea routes, which
often result in deaths.
Four million refugees
Turkey, which is home to four million refugees, reached a
financial deal with the European Union to stem the flow of migrants and
refugees to Europe.
Turkish authorities claim they held some 60,000 people trying
to cross the Mediterranean last year. Almost 9,000 suspected human traffickers
were arrested reportedly detained.
But deadly drama's at sea are continuing.
The latest reported tragedy came just hours after another
migrant boat sank in the Ionian Sea near the south-western Greek island of
Paxi, killing at least 12 people.
Greek officials said 21 people had been rescued and that
they were still trying to determine how many people were on the vessel.
Suffering in Greece
But even if they arrive in Greece, their better future is
far from certain. In recent days migrants fleeing war, persecution, and poverty
could be seen burning a tire and doing other actions to protest the problematic
conditions in refugee camps.
On the island of Lesbos, refugees expressed anger over the
lack of access to essential services, including heating as winter sets in. Many
have to use firewood to keep warm between tens and filthy conditions.
Separate incidents were illustrating the desperation of
migrants seeking a better life. Authorities in nearby North Macedonia
said Saturday that 62 migrants were discovered hidden inside freight
trains at the border with Greece.
Border control teams that included officers from North
Macedonia, Austria, and the Czech Republic found 42 migrants during a routine
inspection of a freight train in the town of Gevgelija on Friday.
Thirty-eight of the migrants were from Morocco.
Many more tragedies are expected as thousands of people try
to reach more prosperous EU nations.
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