500 including Pakistanis are still missing after migrant boat tragedy in Greece: UN
298 Pakistanis feared dead, 12 others rescued as Greece hunts for migrant shipwreck’s survivors,
Islamabad_Some 500 people including many Pakistanis still remain missing after a fishing boat carrying hundreds of migrants capsized off the coast of Greece on June 14, according to UN agencies.
A joint statement issued by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said while the number of people on board the boat is not clear, it is believed to have been somewhere between 400 and 750.
So far 104 people have been rescued and 78 bodies retrieved, while hundreds remain missing, and feared dead in the latest tragedy in the Mediterranean deemed to be the worst in recent years, the UN agencies said.
The boat was reportedly in distress since the morning of June 13.
A large-scale search and rescue operation was announced by the Greek Hellenic Coast Guard on the morning of June 14, after the boat capsized.
The duty to rescue people in distress at sea without delay is a fundamental rule of international maritime law.
Both shipmasters and states have an obligation to render assistance to those in distress at sea 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, according to the agencies.
Both the UNHCR and IOM have been on the ground in Kalamata, in southern Greece in close coordination with the authorities providing support and assistance to the survivors, including non-food items, hygiene kits, interpretation services and counselling for survivors who are traumatised following the ordeal.
“It is clear, that the current approach to the Mediterranean is unworkable. 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 proactive 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” Federico Soda, IOM Director for the Department of Emergencies, was quoted as saying in the statement.
“The EU must put safety and solidarity at the heart of its action in the Mediterranean. In view of the increased movements of refugees and migrants in the Mediterranean, collective efforts, including greater coordination 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.” said Gillian Triggs, the UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection.
Meanwhile, the Greek caretaker Prime Minister, Ioannis Sarmas, said that a “thorough investigation of the real facts and technical judgements” would take place to determine what had caused the boat to capsize.
Greece is one of the main routes into the European Union for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Last month, the Greek government came under international criticism over video reportedly showed the forceful expulsion of migrants who were set adrift at sea.
Pakistani victims
Rescuers were scouring the seas off Greece on Saturday in a massive search operation as hopes dwindled for survivors of a shipwreck that estimatedly killed 298 Pakistan nationals.
The ship was carrying 310 Pakistan nationals along with other migrants when it met the accident earlier this week. The Pakistan embassy in Greece has confirmed that 12 of the citizens had been rescued, adding that the local authorities had managed to recover 78 bodies as search operation continues for fourth day.
Sources said over 130 Paksitanis belonged to the Kashmir region.
Earlier on Wednesday, hundreds of people were thought to have packed a fishing boat that capsized in international waters about 50 miles (80 km) from the southern coastal town of Pylos, while being shadowed by the Greek coast guard.
As dawn broke on Thursday, a coast guard vessel sailed into the nearby port city of Kalamata, transferring victims of the year’s deadliest shipwreck off Greece. By the early hours, the survivors there numbered 104 out of several hundreds.
Authorities said it was unclear how many had been aboard the vessel, and they were investigating one account from a European rescue-support charity that there could have been 750 people on the 20- to 30 metre-long (65- to 100- foot-long) boat. The U.N.’s International Organization for Migration said initial reports suggested up to 400 people were aboard.
Government officials said the vessel had set off from the Libyan port of Tobruk, but added that migrants on the boat had persistently refused offers of help from Greek authorities.
“It was a fishing boat packed with people who refused our assistance because they wanted to go to Italy,” coast guard spokesperson Nikos Alexiou told broadcaster Skai TV.
“We stayed beside it in case it needed our assistance which they had refused.”
Aerial pictures released by the Greek coast guard showed dozens of people on the boat’s upper and lower decks looking up, some with arms outstretched, hours before it sank.
Greece is one of the main routes into the European Union for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Under a conservative government, in power until last month, authorities have taken a harder stance on migration, building walled camps and boosting border controls.
Libya, which has had little stability or security since a NATO-backed uprising in 2011, is a major launching point for those seeking to reach Europe by sea.
People-smuggling networks are mainly run by military factions that control coastal areas.
The United Nations has registered more than 20,000 deaths and disappearances in the central Mediterranean since 2014, making it the most dangerous migrant crossing in the world.
