Greek boat tragedy: Governments should rescue people from sea ‘regardless of their nationality, status or circumstances’, humanitarian organisations warn

Hundreds of people are still unaccounted for

Humanitarian organisations have warned governments to take responsibility for the rescue of asylum seekers in distress at sea – as Greek authorities come under fire for their dealings with a ship carrying asylum seekers that capsized earlier this week, potentially killing hundreds of people.

A joint statement from the United Nations Refugee arm UNCHR and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said both ship masters and states had an obligation to render assistance to those in distress at sea. This was “regardless of their nationality, status or the circumstances in which they are found”, including on unseaworthy vessels, and “irrespective of the intentions” of those onboard, the bodies said.

Hundreds of people have been lost at sea following the tragedy off Greece’s south coast and 78 have been confirmed dead, in an accident believed to be the worst of its kind in recent years.

Suvivors rest in a warehouse used as a temporary shelter, after the tragic boat accident of the coast of Greece.

The engine of the fishing boat, which has been pictured packed with people on its decks before the accident, failed in the early hours of Wednesday. The Greek coastguard said it believed people on board subsequently began to move around, causing the vessel to capsize near Kalamata in southern Greece.

A huge search-and-rescue operation initially recovered 78 bodies and picked up 104 survivors – all men and boys. But no more have been found. It is believed women – and up to 100 children – could have been trapped in the hold of the ship. Some survivors have claimed as many as 750 people could have been on board.

UNHCR and the IOM said the boat was reportedly in distress since the morning of June 13. However, they pointed out a search-and-rescue operation was not announced by the Greek coastguard until the morning of June 14, after the boat capsized.

Patrol boats and a helicopter continued to scour the area on Friday – as police announced 21 arrests in Athens following large protests on Thursday night.

Asylum seekers receive treatment from NGO workers, in Thermi on the Greek island of Lesbos in February this year.

The coastguard said initial contact was made with the fishing boat at 2pm local time on Tuesday, and no request for help had been made. The Greek shipping ministry had also made repeated contact, but been told the vessel wanted to continue its journey to Italy, the coastguard said.

A judicial review has been launched in Greece into the events, which led to the boat capsizing. Nine people, all of Egyptian descent, have been arrested and are believed to have been responsible for the people-smuggling operation.

The joint statement said a duty to rescue people in trouble on a sea without delay is “a fundamental rule of international maritime law” – and called for “urgent and decisive action” to prevent further deaths.

“It is clear that the current approach to the Mediterranean is unworkable,” said Federico Soda, IOM director for the Department of Emergencies. “Year after year, it continues to be the most dangerous migration route in the world, with the highest fatality rate.

"States need to come together and address the gaps in pro-active search and rescue, quick disembarkation, and safe regular pathways. These collective efforts should have the human rights of migrants and saving lives at the centre of any response.”

Gillian Triggs, UNHCR assistant high commissioner for protection, called for the European Union to “put safety and solidarity at the heart of its action in the Mediterranean”.

She said: “In view of the increased movements of refugees and migrants in the Mediterranean, collective efforts, including greater co-ordination between all Mediterranean States, solidarity, and responsibility-sharing, as reflected in the EU’s Pact on Migration and Asylum, are essential to save lives. This includes the establishment of an agreed regional disembarkation and redistribution mechanism for people who arrive by sea, which we continue to advocate for.”

Adriana Tidona of Amnesty International said: "The Greek government had specific responsibilities toward every passenger on the vessel, which was clearly in distress. This is a tragedy of unimaginable proportions, all the more so because it was entirely preventable."

Former Greek prime minister and opposition leader Alexis Tsipras spoke to survivors of the accident when he visited Kalamata on Thursday. Greek voters are gearing up to go to the polls on June 25.

Mr Tsipras said the coastguard should have towed the ship to safety as it approached Greek waters - a concern echoed by human rights organisations. Some survivors told the politician that the coastguard had thrown a rope to the fishing boat in an attempt to tow it.

Coastguard spokesperson Nikos Alexiou said the vessel was being followed by the coastguard and private vessels in international waters before it sank and denied reports citing survivors that a patrol boat had tried to tow the fishing boat.

He said repeated offers of assistance were rejected in radio communications with the vessel and well as calls made over a loudspeaker.

The tragedy is the latest in a string of accidents which have hit small boats carrying asylum seekers since the migrant crisis began nearly a decade ago.

According to data published earlier this week by the IOM, 3,800 people died last year2 while travelling on migrant and refugee routes from the Middle East and North Africa. All but 11 of those deaths occurring on sea-based routes in the region. In February, at least 94 people died when a wooden boat from İzmir, Turkey, sank off of Cutro in southern Italy in the deadliest Mediterranean maritime incident of 2023 up to that point.