Greek authorities rescue nearly 60 migrants on small boats in Aegean Sea
Greek authorities rescue nearly 60 migrants on small boats in Aegean Sea/node/2357941/world
Greek authorities rescue nearly 60 migrants on small boats in Aegean Sea
Migrants disembark from the National navy public service patrol boat "Le Pluvier" on the docks of the port of Calais, northern France, on August 19, 2023. (AFP)
Greek authorities rescue nearly 60 migrants on small boats in Aegean Sea
Greek officials have blamed the increase in arrivals largely on conflicts in Africa that are adding pressure on the main smuggling routes to Europe, and also on a burgeoning black market industry in Turkiye that produces low-quality inflatable boats
Updated 20 August 2023
AP
ATHENS: Greek authorities on Saturday rescued nearly 60 migrants in inflatable dinghies trying to cross from Turkiye to the nearby eastern Aegean Sea islands in two separate incidents, the coast guard said.
In recent weeks Greece has seen a rise in such arrivals, mostly in small unseaworthy boats provided by smugglers.
A coast guard statement said a patrol boat located 41 people early Saturday on a drifting inflatable dinghy off the island of Lesbos. All were safely evacuated and taken to a reception center on the island.
HIGHLIGHT
Greek officials have blamed the increase in arrivals largely on conflicts in Africa that are adding pressure on the main smuggling routes to Europe, and also on a burgeoning black market industry in Turkiye that produces low-quality inflatable boats.
Following a chase earlier Saturday, a coast guard patrol boat stopped another dinghy carrying 17 people near the eastern Aegean islets of Arkii. The migrants were taken to the island of Patmos, while one of them was arrested on suspicion of belonging to a smuggling ring.
Greek officials have blamed the increase in arrivals largely on conflicts in Africa that are adding pressure on the main smuggling routes to Europe, and also on a burgeoning black market industry in Turkiye that produces low-quality inflatable boats. Better summer sailing conditions have also contributed to the hike in numbers.
The Greek government says it has not changed its policy of intercepting boats at sea which had significantly reduced arrivals of migrants in recent years.
Human rights groups have accused Greece of carrying out illegal summary deportations to Turkiye of people who managed to reach Greek shores. Athens strongly denies that.
Iceland joins Eurovision boycott over Israel’s participation
Decision follows similar moves by Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia over the Gaza war
Iceland’s national broadcaster says it pulled out 'given the public debate' in the country
Updated 5 sec ago
LONDON: Iceland’s national broadcaster said Wednesday it will boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest because of discord over Israel’s participation, joining four other countries in a walkout of the pan-continental music competition. Broadcasters in Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia told contest organizer the European Broadcasting Union last week that they will not take part in the contest in Vienna in May after organizers declined to expel Israel over its conduct of the war against Hamas in Gaza. The board of Iceland’s RÚV met Wednesday to make a decision. At its conclusion the broadcaster said in a statement that “given the public debate in this country ... it is clear that neither joy nor peace will prevail regarding the participation of RÚV in Eurovision. It is therefore the conclusion of RÚV to notify the EBU today that RÚV will not take part in Eurovision next year.” “The Song Contest and Eurovision have always had the aim of uniting the Icelandic nation but it is now clear that this aim cannot be achieved and it is on these program-related grounds that this decision is taken,” the broadcaster said. Last week the general assembly of the EBU — a group of public broadcasters from 56 countries that runs Eurovision — met to discuss concerns about Israel’s participation. Members voted to adopt tougher contest voting rules in response to allegations that Israel manipulated the vote in favor of its competitor, but took no action to exclude any broadcaster from the competition. The pullouts include some big names in the Eurovision world. Spain is one of the “Big Five” large-market countries that contribute the most to the contest. Ireland has won seven times, a record it shares with Sweden. Iceland, a volcanic North Atlantic island nation with a population of 360,000, has never won but has the highest per capita viewing audience of any country. The walkouts cast a cloud over the future of what’s meant to be a feel-good cultural party marked by friendly rivalry and disco beats, dealing a blow to fans, broadcasters and the contest’s finances. The contest, which turns 70 in 2026, strives to put pop before politics, but has repeatedly been embroiled in world events. Russia was expelled in 2022 after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It has been roiled by the war in Gaza for the past two years, stirring protests outside the venues and forcing organizers to clamp down on political flag-waving. Opponents of Israel’s participation cite the war in Gaza, where more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government and whose detailed records are viewed as generally reliable by the international community. Israel’s government has repeatedly defended its campaign as a response to the attack by Hamas-led militants on Oct. 7, 2023. The militants killed around 1,200 people — mostly civilians — in the attack and took 251 hostage. A number of experts, including those commissioned by a UN body, have said that Israel’s offensive in Gaza amounts to genocide, a claim Israel has vigorously denied. Wednesday marked the final day for national broadcasters to announce whether they planned to participate. More than two dozen countries have confirmed they will attend the contest in Vienna, and the EBU says a final list of competing nations will be published before Christmas.
