Türkiye rescues 35 irregular migrants pushed back by Greece

The Turkish Coast Guard on Monday rescued 35 irregular migrants in the Aegean Sea who were illegally pushed back into Turkish territorial waters by Greek authorities.

Coast Guard Northern Aegean Group Command determined that there were irregular migrants in a life raft off the coast of Ayvacik, Canakkale.

The migrants were from Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq.

Separately, 57 irregular migrants were also caught in a rubber boat.

After the necessary procedures, the migrants, who were brought ashore, were transferred to the Ayvacik Immigration Office.

Türkiye and global rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece’s illegal practice of pushing back irregular migrants, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.

Hundreds of migrants are feared dead from a migrant boat sinking last week off southwestern Greece. Some accounts suggest the accident might have happened when a Greek vessel tried to tow the overcrowded migrant boat into Italian waters.

Türkiye has been a key transit point for irregular migrants wanting to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.