EuroMed Rights - 02/12/2024

On 13 December, a boat capsized off the coast of the tiny island of Gavdos, south of Crete, 39 people were rescued, but at least 40 people are missing and 5 bodies have already been found.
On 11 December, the Aegean Boat Report revealed that 25 boats carrying 756 people arrived in the Aegean islands between 2 and 8 December. In the same period, 46 boats (1187 people) were pushed back by the police.
On 4 December, a new investigation revealed that Greek authorities knew that the nine Egyptians they had detained for almost a year on charges related to a shipwreck that killed nearly 600 people in June 2023 were not part of a human trafficking network. Despite receiving information from the Egyptian authorities confirming their innocence, Greek officials charged the men with people smuggling and held them in pre-trial detention until their case was dismissed in May 2024.
On 2 December, the Aegean Boat Report revealed that 32 boats carrying 918 people arrived in the Aegean islands between 25 November and 10 December. In the same period, 50 boats (1349 people) were pushed back by the police.

02/12/2024 – 17/12/2024