At least 14 migrants have lost their lives in a tragic collision between a Greek coastguard vessel and a migrant boat in the Aegean Sea, off the coast of Chios. The incident occurred around 9pm local time on Tuesday as the speedboat, carrying dozens of people including women, children, and pregnant individuals, failed to follow instructions from the coastguard vessel.
According to official reports, 26 people were rescued and taken to a hospital in Chios for treatment, with seven children and one pregnant woman among those injured. The Greek coastguard has confirmed that several others were on the speedboat at the time of the collision but the exact number is still unknown.
The incident has sparked concerns over Greece's handling of migrant arrivals, with many human rights groups criticizing the country's policies and practices towards asylum seekers approaching by sea. In recent years, Greece has strengthened its border controls and patrols in an effort to reduce migration numbers, but this move has been met with criticism from some quarters.
The collision is the latest in a series of incidents that have raised questions about the safety and treatment of migrants at sea. Last year, hundreds of migrants died after their trawler was reportedly towed by Greek coastguards during a rescue operation. The European Union's border agency has launched an investigation into 12 cases of potential human rights violations, including some allegations that Greece pushed asylum seekers from its shores.
Greece has maintained that it is not responsible for the deaths or mistreatment of migrants and has denied carrying out human rights violations or pushing asylum seekers from its shores. However, many critics argue that the country's policies are part of a broader trend towards stricter border controls and reduced migration numbers, which can have devastating consequences for those seeking refuge.
The incident highlights the ongoing challenges faced by Greece and other European countries in balancing their need to protect borders with their obligations to protect human rights and treat asylum seekers with dignity.
According to official reports, 26 people were rescued and taken to a hospital in Chios for treatment, with seven children and one pregnant woman among those injured. The Greek coastguard has confirmed that several others were on the speedboat at the time of the collision but the exact number is still unknown.
The incident has sparked concerns over Greece's handling of migrant arrivals, with many human rights groups criticizing the country's policies and practices towards asylum seekers approaching by sea. In recent years, Greece has strengthened its border controls and patrols in an effort to reduce migration numbers, but this move has been met with criticism from some quarters.
The collision is the latest in a series of incidents that have raised questions about the safety and treatment of migrants at sea. Last year, hundreds of migrants died after their trawler was reportedly towed by Greek coastguards during a rescue operation. The European Union's border agency has launched an investigation into 12 cases of potential human rights violations, including some allegations that Greece pushed asylum seekers from its shores.
Greece has maintained that it is not responsible for the deaths or mistreatment of migrants and has denied carrying out human rights violations or pushing asylum seekers from its shores. However, many critics argue that the country's policies are part of a broader trend towards stricter border controls and reduced migration numbers, which can have devastating consequences for those seeking refuge.
The incident highlights the ongoing challenges faced by Greece and other European countries in balancing their need to protect borders with their obligations to protect human rights and treat asylum seekers with dignity.
This is just so heartbreaking... like what even is going on? A boat full of people, trying to reach a new life, and the Greek coastguard comes at them from all sides 
. It's not that hard to follow instructions, you'd think. And yeah, Greece has been doing some crazy things with their border controls lately... it's like they're just throwing up walls and hoping nobody gets hurt 
. I mean, what's the point of having a coast guard if you're just gonna crash into people? 
And those EU investigations... yikes 
. It's time for some real accountability here 
. We need to make sure these people are treated with respect and dignity, not like they're some kind of statistic or obstacle to be cleared 
.
and it's like, why do they always have to use this tiny font size? 
can't they see that it's hard to read? 
also why do they never organize the info in a logical order? like, first you gotta tell us what happened, then how many people were involved, not all mixed together 
14 migrants lost their lives in a tragic collision... 
what's the deal with these coast guard vessels, are they trying to crash or something? 
Meanwhile, some kids and pregnant women were lucky enough to get rescued 
. But still, who's in charge here? 
and now there's this coastguard incident where people were basically left to fend for themselves... what a mess! 
14 lives lost at sea? It's like something straight out of a movie... you know, like "The Impossible" or "Captain Phillips". The thought of all those families and loved ones left behind is just devastating 
. It's not like they're doing anything crazy or trying to send people back to danger... it's just that their policies might be part of a bigger picture that's affecting innocent people. Anyway, let's all take a moment to remember those who lost their lives at sea 
.
something just doesn't add up here... like how do they not know if there were more people on that speedboat or not? 
it's either an honest mistake or someone's trying to cover something up... and don't even get me started on those border control policies... what's the real motive behind all this? 
are we just making things up as we go along? 
just saw this news about 14 migrants dying in that Greek coastguard vessel collision, it's absolutely insane! 
it's time for real change, not just empty words. 
. It's like, they want to help, but they're not doing it right. And what about the ones who are left behind? The women, children, pregnant individuals... how many more lives have to be lost before something changes?