73 migrants pushed back by Greece rescued

MUĞLA

Turkish Coast Guard teams have rescued 73 irregular migrants pushed back by Greece in three operations conducted off the Aegean province of Muğla’s Datça district.

Initiating an operation upon notifications that there was a group of irregular migrants in two rubber boats off the coast of Datça, teams rescued 53 irregular migrants, who were determined to be pushed back into Turkish territorial waters by the Greek forces, on Sept. 27.

Setting out to sea once again with the second notice, coast guard teams rescued another group of 10 migrants in a rubber boa, while an organizer suspect was detained.

On the night of Sept. 28, the teams carried out another operation and rescued another 10 irregular migrants pushed back by Greek forces.

Taken to the shore, the illegal migrants were handed over to Muğla Provincial Directorate of Migration Management, while legal proceedings were initiated against the organizer suspect.

Thousands come to Greece via Türkiye over the narrow and perilous sea as 64 people have perished in the eastern Mediterranean since January, the International Organization for Migration says.

But with Greek authorities increasing patrols in the Aegean and facing repeated and persistent reports of summarily deporting new arrivals to Türkiye without allowing them to apply for asylum, many are now skirting the Greek islands and attempting to take the much longer, and more dangerous, route directly to Italy.