ATHENS: The Greek coast guard recovered four bodies Tuesday after an inflatable boat carrying 38 migrants capsized off the island of Lesbos.
“The four bodies were discovered off the Gulf of Gera on Lesbos while 34 people were discovered on the coast nearby,” a police spokesperson said.
Identification of the victims and the survivors was ongoing, they added.
The migrants’ boat ran aground near the coast then began to sink as strong winds whipped up waves of up to 1.5 meters (five feet), according to the Greek ANA news agency.
Most of the survivors were from African countries and were taken to a reception and registration center on Lesbos, the agency said.
Lesbos, like other Greek islands in the Aegean Sea near neighboring Turkiye, is one of the main entry points into Europe for people fleeing war and poverty.
The perilous crossings are often fatal. In April, seven people, including three children, died when their inflatable boat capsized off the island.
Greece has seen an increase in the number of migrant and refugee arrivals further south on Crete, coming in particular from Libya.
The conservative government hardened its migration policy in July, suspending asylum claims for three months from people coming from north Africa.
The move has been criticized by a number of international organizations, including the UN refugee agency and the Council of Europe.
Four migrants die as boat capsizes off Greece
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Four migrants die as boat capsizes off Greece
- The four bodies were discovered off the Gulf of Gera on Lesbos
- Most of the survivors were from African countries
UK starts visa requirements for St. Lucians
- Saint Lucia’s government said it was actively engaging with British government
- It said it would continue talks to “explore pathways for maintaining strong mobility arrangements“
CASTRIES: Britain has introduced a visa requirement for Saint Lucians effective from Thursday citing a “notable increase” in nationals from the small Caribbean nation claiming asylum, Saint Lucia’s government said in a statement.
Immigration is one of Britain’s most politically sensitive issues, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government has sought to show it is tightening the system as the populist Reform UK party gains ground in opinion polls.
Saint Lucia, a former British colony, has a population of about 180,000. Last year, the World Bank estimated a net emigration of just 23 people.
Its government said it was actively engaging with British government and would continue talks to “explore pathways for maintaining strong mobility arrangements.”
It said it was informed in a letter dated Wednesday.
Saint Lucia is a member of the Commonwealth, an association of mostly former British colonies. Before the 1970s, nationals of many of these had the right to live and work in the UK. Saint Lucians previously needed a 16 pound Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to travel to the UK. \
There will be a six-week transition for ETA holders, its government said.
On Tuesday, Britain said it would block study visas for Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan and halt work visas for Afghans.
