GREECE: Emotional scenes as more than 200 illegal immigrants rescued from sinking ship off coast

Record ID: 348290

  • Title: GREECE: Emotional scenes as more than 200 illegal immigrants rescued from sinking ship off coast
  • Date: 17th January 2011
  • Summary: CORFU, GREECE (JANUARY 16, 2011) (REUTERS) RESCUE TEAM ON DOCK AT CORFU HARBOUR, CARGO SHIP ARRIVING CARGO SHIP DOCKING COAST GUARD SHIP ACCOMPANYING SHIP CARGO SHIP IN DOCK WITH CREW ON DECK RESCUE TEAM AWAITING ON DOCK IMMIGRANT BEING TAKEN OFF SHIP IN STRETCHER, BEING PLACED IN AMBULANCE, IMMIGRANT ON STRETCHER HOLDING HIS SHOE MORE IMMIGRANTS BEING TAKEN OFF SHIP ON STRETCHERS
  • Embargoed: 1st February 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece, Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVA1XN4Y7Q0OFZERG3X4KO77TVA7
  • Story Text: Authorities rescued 241 illegal immigrants stranded on a wooden boat about 30 miles off the northwestern Greek island of Corfu on Sunday (January 16) and coastguards are searching for another 22 missing migrants, coastguards said.
    The immigrants were brought to shore on Corfu Island, while five coast guard vessels and search and rescue helicopters were searching for the rest, officials said.
    The immigrants rescued said they were from Afghanistan, said a coastguard official. They called for help late in the evening on Saturday and were located at about 0230 local time (0030 GMT) on Sunday. They were picked up by a passing Dutch cargo ship, the 'Momentus Scan'.
    Some of the immigrants were taken off in a stretcher and taken to hospital, while others cried as they set foot on shore. Coast Guard police also took into custody the smugglers who had been taking the migrants across the sea. The immigrants included children and entire families.
    "The boat was obvious sinking so at that point we decided to take off the people, to rescue them, and about close to two o'clock in the morning we had all these people on board and I think five minutes later the boat sunk away," said Martin Remeis, captain of the Dutch cargo ship that picked up the migrants. One immigrant kissed him and thanked him for saving them.
    The immigrants were to be taken to shelters on the island, local officials said, to be housed and fed. The could be seen still weeping as the bus took them away.
    Corfu Island is located in the Ionian Sea, north of the Mediterranean Sea, south of Albania and southeast of Italy.
    In 2010 Greece became the main entry point for immigrants trying to reach Europe, mainly through the northeastern Greek - Turkish land border as sea routes in the Mediterranean Sea were closed off due to increased patrols by EU countries.
    The influx on this border was so heavy Greece had to ask for help from the European Union in November, who sent in border agency Frontex forces to assist.
    The Greek government, currently dealing with a financial crisis, is struggling to cope with an estimated half a million illegal immigrants and asylum seekers among its population of around 11 million inhabitants.
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