Refugees trying to reach Greece via Aegean on rise

By Ramazan Ercan

IZMIR, Turkey

The number of refugees trying to reach Greek islands from Turkey via the Aegean Sea rose by 90 percent in August compared to previous month in the same year when Turkey and EU agreed on a refugee deal, according to Turkish Coast Guard data.

Trying to make a perilous journey across the Aegean and Mediterranean, 1,670 refugees were held by the Turkish Coast Guard in August while 881 were held in July.

Migration to Europe via sea routes dropped by 90 percent after Turkey and EU in March signed a refugee deal, aiming to break people-smuggling gangs, which have been trafficking refugees and migrants across the Aegean to nearby Greek islands.

Over the past year, thousands of people have made short but dangerous attempts to cross the Aegean in a bid to reach Greece, before going on to northern and Western Europe.

The EU-Turkey agreement reached on March 20 allows for the return of “irregular migrants” to Turkey from Greece in exchange for Syrian refugees to be relocated within the EU.

According to Turkish Coast Guard, in 2015, 279 migrants lost their lives in the Aegean, mainly through the use of unsafe vessels such as plastic boats.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported that more than 3,000 refugees had reached Greek islands in August.

According to the authority, out of the 27,028 refugees intercepted by Turkey so far this year, 5,506 were held in January, 8,747 in February, 8,530 in March, 1,717 in April, 1,109 in May, 538 in June and 881 in July.