The Turkish Coast Guard has rescued 85 migrants in the Aegean Sea after Greek forces rejected a vessel and directed it back into Turkish territorial waters, domestic media reports on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th June, 2020) The Turkish Coast Guard has rescued 85 migrants in the Aegean Sea after Greek forces rejected a vessel and directed it back into Turkish territorial waters, domestic media reports on Thursday.
According to Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency, which cited unnamed sources, the vessel set sail from Ayvacik, in Canakkale province, for the Greek island of Lesbos, the landing site for most migrants traveling from Turkey.
The vessel asked for help from the Turkish Coast Guard after it was pushed back by Greek forces, the agency reported. Those on board the boat were given food and clothes by Turkish officials, the agency added.
On Tuesday, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said that it was deeply concerned by the Greek government's plans to close up to 60 refugee camps, which could see tens of thousands of vulnerable people evicted from their current accommodation.
Since 2014, more than 1.2 million migrants and asylum seekers have entered Greece either by sea or by land, including more than 860,000 in 2015 at the height of the European Union's migrant crisis, according to data provided by UNHCR.
An estimated 9,935 migrants and asylum seekers have reached Greece in the first six months of 2020, according to the UN agency.
