UNHCR Raises Alarm Over Rising Fatal Migrant Shipwrecks in Greece

The United Nations refugee agency’s (UNHCR) representative in Greece has expressed deep concern over the increasing number of migrant deaths in Greek waters, following two tragic shipwrecks this past week.

According to a report at AP, Maria Clara Martin from UNHCR said at least 17 people have died in November alone, bringing the total deaths this year to 45.

Despite government estimates predicting 50,000 arrivals by year’s end, over 56,000 migrants have already reached Greece in 2024, marking a five-year high.

Martin called for urgent action to address the humanitarian crisis including creating long-term solutions and safe alternatives for those fleeing violence, persecution and human rights violations. “Counting lives lost at sea cannot become a norm.”

Instead, Martin highlights that the pathway to safe alternatives is through international cooperation and by addressing the root causes driving migration.

Greek authorities attribute the surge in arrivals to conflicts in the Middle East. While many endure perilous journeys across the Mediterranean from Libya to Crete, the majority rely on smuggling networks to cross from Turkey to the eastern Aegean.

This past week a mother lost three of her children, while another survivor lost his wife and daughter in separate incidents off the eastern Aegean island of Samos. The Greek coast guard later apprehended a 17-year-old Turkish youth suspected of smuggling migrants to Chios.

Source: Tovima.com