38 migrants, including a lady who was pregnant, were discovered stranded on a small, unidentified island near the Turkish-Greek border.
The 22 men, 9 women, and 7 kids claim to have been on the islet in the Evros river since mid-July.
They were transferred to mainland Greece after being found on Monday.
The group was described as being in “quite excellent shape” by the nation’s minister of migration, who added that the pregnant woman had been transported to the hospital as a precaution.
However, the group and human rights organizations claim that at least one child perished on the islet, which is close to the Greek town of Lavara. Police in Greece have not yet verified this.
On Tuesday, Notis Mitarachi, the minister of migration, traveled to the Evros region. He stated the government would work with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent to locate the child’s body to guarantee a respectable funeral, even if he did not confirm the child’s demise.
Due to the group’s position, it was unclear whether Turkey or Greece should have intervened on their behalf.
After several days of searching, they were eventually located roughly 4 km (2.4 mi) south of the locations outside of Greek territory. Greek authorities claim that is why the migrants were not discovered earlier.
One of the group’s female members, Baida, compared how they were treated to “a football game between the two teams” (Turkey and Greece).
“Nobody desires us. Nobody can hear us. Nobody wants to assist, “Added she.
For a number of years, the treatment of migrants trying to enter Europe from Turkey by Greece has been in the spotlight.
According to human rights organizations, thousands of individuals who wanted to apply for asylum were denied access to the process. After a senior official stated that the country was violating European fundamental rights last year, it also sparked disputes within the EU.
According to some refugees, they were forcibly sent back to Turkish waters.
The Greek government has always refuted these accusations and maintains that it abides by both domestic and international law.
The International Rescue Committee’s Greece director, Dimitra Kalogeropoulou, stated that the incident on the Evros river “highlights the savagery of pushbacks.”
According to the UN, 232 Syrians landed in Greece by water between January and June 2022.
