Greek coastguard threw migrants overboard, witnesses say

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Witnesses tell of death off the Greek coast

More than 40 people are alleged to have died as a result of being forced out of Greek territorial waters. Credit: BBC

The Greek government has long been accused of forced returns, pushing back migrants out of the country's territorial waters towards Turkey. The practice is illegal under international law. Now witnesses say the Greek coastguard has caused the deaths of dozens of migrants in the Mediterranean over a three-year period, including nine who were deliberately thrown into the water. One Cameroonian man said he was beaten up and thrown in the water without a lifejacket. The Greek coastguard says its staff is "in full compliance with the country's international obligations". During their investigation, my colleagues showed a former high-ranking member of the Greek coastguard footage of a group including women and babies being taken by small boat to a raft and left to drift. After refusing to speculate on what the video showed, the former Coastguard was recorded telling someone who was off-camera in Greek that it was "obviously illegal" and "an international crime".

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Fishing boat tragedy: The Greek coastguard was criticised over a shipwreck, in the Mediterranean last June, in which more than 600 migrants are feared to have died. Greek officials have insisted the boat was safely on its way to Italy.
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Displaced by violence: The number of people fleeing their homes around the world has hit a record 120 million, according to the UN’s refugee agency.
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Migration pact: In April, the European Union approved measures aimed at speeding up the asylum process and boosting the return of irregular migrants, while requiring members states to share responsibility for asylum seekers.

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