Turkish Coast Guard rescues 60 irregular migrants off coast of İzmir

IZMIR

The Turkish Coast Guard has rescued 60 irregular migrants, including 22 children, in life rafts believed to have been pushed back into Turkish waters by Greek authorities off the coast of the Dikili district in the western province of İzmir on May 1.

Responding to a tip, Coast Guard teams located two life rafts carrying a total of 41 migrants, 15 of them children. These individuals were brought safely ashore.

Separately, the Coast Guard received a distress call from a disabled rubber boat carrying 19 migrants, including seven children. The adrift vessel was towed to safety and all migrants received assistance.

Following processing, all 60 migrants were transferred to the İzmir Provincial Directorate of Migration Management.

This incident highlights the ongoing issue of irregular migration in the Aegean Sea. The Turkish Coast Guard's 2023 report reveals a significant number of rescues and apprehensions related to migration attempts.

Throughout 2023, Turkish authorities rescued a staggering 25,889 migrants pushed back by Greece.

The Coast Guard's activities extended beyond rescues. They also prevented 25,770 irregular migrants from crossing into Turkish territory and disembarked 4,962 migrants who encountered difficulties at sea.

In total, Turkish authorities apprehended 56,621 irregular migrants in 2023, marking an increase from 49,231 apprehensions or rescues in 2022. Tragically, the Coast Guard also recovered the bodies of approximately 20 migrants who perished at sea.