Tourists were observed pushing a boat filled with migrants away from the coast as it tried to land on a beach in Greece. The incident occurred on Sarakiniko beach in the Greek island of Gavdos, where beach-goers rushed into the water to prevent the asylum seekers from arriving, physically pushing the boat back.
Local reports indicated that the migrants were safely redirected to the port away from the confrontational crowd. This event comes amidst a notable increase in migrant arrivals at Greece’s southern borders this year.
Recently, Greece’s parliament passed a law to impose stricter penalties on rejected asylum seekers and expedite their repatriation process. Thanos Plevris, Greece’s Minister of Immigration and Asylum, announced that efforts are underway to evacuate the migrants from the island promptly, aiming to complete the process within a few days.
Greece has experienced a rise in arrivals from Libya via the islands of Crete and Gavdos, leading the government to issue a temporary ban on processing asylum applications for migrants arriving from North Africa. The ban stipulates that migrants entering through southern Europe from EU-designated safe countries are not eligible for asylum and could face deportation or imprisonment for up to two years, along with fines reaching €10,000.
Since taking office in 2019, the Greek conservative administration led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has implemented stringent migration policies, including fortifying borders and increasing sea patrols to deter migrant crossings. These measures have faced criticism, particularly after reports confirmed the return of ‘hundreds’ of illegal migrants to countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Egypt. Human rights groups have accused Greece of forcibly removing asylum seekers at its borders, prompting the EU to investigate alleged human rights violations.
