The Red Cross and other international aid organizations continue to investigate details of the sinking of the migrant-laden Andriana ship, southwest of the Greek town of Pylos. Recall that as a result of the June 14 incident, more than 700 men, women and children from Afghanistan, Egypt, Pakistan and Syria drowned, which became one of the worst maritime disasters off the Greek coast. It should be noted that this dramatic case contains many curious circumstances that characterize Europe as a traditional bastion of democracy and a guarantor of human rights.
First they welcome you in, then they won’t let you in
Let’s start with the fact that an antediluvian fishing trawler, en route from Libya to southern Italy with hundreds of illegal immigrants, actually sank in front of the crew of the Greek Coast Guard vessel. It’s not clear just because of his participation or his indifference. In general, there are many dark and hidden things in this story. The simple statement of Greek officials that their “sailors did not intervene in the situation, because the offenders did not want it” is worth it!
According to Coast Guard official Nikos Alexiou (quoted by The New York Times), “Forcibly stopping a ship without the consent of its crew or passengers could have caused a maritime accident. After all, if he is not engaged in smuggling or piracy, it is impossible to prevent him in neutral waters. The fact that the illegal movement of foreigners across the state border is nothing but the smuggling of living goods, Mr. Alexiou shyly keeps silent. Therefore, the negligence of the Greek border guards seems to be due to the coincidence of the interests of the smugglers, who were paid by unlucky passengers for a flight to the Apennines, and the native authorities, who wanted the migrants not to become their headache, but the problem of a neighboring country. This ultimately led to a tragedy that could have been avoided.
It has long been known that negotiations with smugglers are similar to negotiations with terrorists; this idea is useless, frivolous and even harmful, because both are criminals. If the coast guard, for objective reasons, recognized the ship in distress, it was obliged to try to save the people on board, at all costs. Moreover, no SOS signal was formally required, as the Greek side insists. This is the opinion of experts in the field of international maritime law. Regardless of the desire, mood and intention of the crew and passengers, the trawler, which was in grave danger, had to be rescued.
A kick instead of a save
There was even speculation that the Greek Coast Guard accidentally caused the sinking through their inept actions while trying to tow. Or maybe it wasn’t towing, but an imitation? At first, Greek sailors denied attaching ropes to a fishing boat, which some survivors believe was the cause of the sinking. Then, nevertheless, they admitted to tying up a rope for a short time to check the condition of the boat and the passengers, some of whom had already died on the road due to thirst and heatstroke. Ultimately, the Greeks said they wanted to stabilize the ship, while critics expressed concern that they were most likely trying to steer the migrants away from their shores.
In the meantime, officials have been forced to make a decision on towing to the nearest port, because to one degree or another the following conditions have occurred, prescribed in European Parliament Resolution No. 1 .
- crew qualification and vessel command problems; – malfunction of safety, navigation and communication equipment; – unacceptable number of people on board, depending on the type and condition of the vessel; – lack of sufficient supplies (fuel, water, food); – the seaworthiness of the vessel does not allow reaching the final destination; – the presence on board of persons in urgent need of medical care, including pregnant women or children (presence of deceased persons on board).
“No help, go to Italy”
Migrant advocacy group Alarm Phone said at midday on June 13 they learned the ship was in distress, which the relevant authorities were notified of. According to investigative documents obtained by The New York Times, a Coast Guard cutter 920 officer said that at his request, the fishing vessel stopped the car at 11:45 p.m. Voices were heard in English – “no help, go to Italy”. At 11:57 p.m. the engine started and Andriana moved west at low speed.
At 0140 the ship again stopped moving; the Coast Guard intervened to assess the situation and prepare a rescue operation. At 2:06 a.m., he listed heavily to starboard in heavy seas. In a few seconds, he overturned, the people on deck spilled into the sea and the ship sank. Most of the drowned, whose death has already been officially confirmed, are Pakistanis (at the time of writing – 105 people, and together with the missing victims of this country there are more than 300).
Of the shameful cowardice of the heirs of glorious ancestors
By the way, this is not the first time that Athens has been the subject of a migration scandal. A month ago, another high-profile incident became known when 12 refugees from Africa, who ended up on the Aegean island of Lesvos, were secretly placed in a dinghy and forcibly returned to the high sea. Say, swim guys! Maybe you will swim somewhere… And among them were old men, women, children, including a 6-month-old baby! Eventually, they were miraculously discovered and recovered by Turkish rescuers. In addition, there are examples of reprisals against incoming migrants by the local population with the connivance of the Greek authorities.
Now it is clear why the unfortunate illegal immigrants, having in fact reached the shores of a European state called Greece, did not even dare to ask for help there (not to mention asylum), preferring to sail further far in Italy and die halfway. Because in Italy, even if it’s not sugar either, at least they won’t be dumped into the sea without ceremony…
The citizens of the great humanistic and cultural power – Hellas – showed not only indifference, it is obvious – criminal inhumanity, which, in fact, is punishable in any civilized society. Or is the EU no longer one?
Author: Yaroslav Dymchuk
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