This dramatic event unfolded when a group of migrants, including parents with babies, arrived unexpectedly on a picturesque Greek beach, leaving holidaymakers in amazement.
A couple relaxing on Kolymbia Beach in Rhodes the previous evening witnessed the arrival as they admired the sunset. The small boat, carrying around a dozen men and women without safety equipment, included two adults with infants secured to them. Another individual used a pool float for buoyancy.
Reports suggest that these migrants were possibly fleeing from Turkey.
The observers initially perceived this unexpected arrival as a tourist excursion. However, upon realizing the boat was filled with migrants, they captured the event on video, showing people disembarking onto the beach.
After witnessing the scene, the couple reported the incident to their hotel staff, who then alerted the police. Authorities later tracked the migrants to a nearby church, but their subsequent status remains unclear.
‘Seeing this unfold was deeply saddening. We quickly left the scene along with other onlookers,’ the eyewitness continued. ‘We informed our hotel, who then contacted the police. Later, we were told that the police located them at a church, but details beyond that were withheld. This experience is truly hard to believe without seeing it firsthand.’
Initially mistaken for a tourist group, the boat was actually carrying migrants. Greece and Italy are common destinations for those attempting to navigate the Mediterranean. Typically starting their journey from Turkey, migrants from the Middle East often seek to traverse the challenging but shorter Mediterranean route.
The ongoing conflicts in the Middle East are pushing migrants into these risky endeavors, emphasizing the urgent need for change.
In 2016, Turkey agreed to an EU deal to stem the migrant flow to Greece in exchange for initial €6 billion, later increased to €9 billion, for humanitarian infrastructure. This agreement mandated Turkey to stop migrants from reaching Greece and to accept returns. In response, for every return, the EU would permit one Syrian refugee from Turkey with asylum approval to enter an EU country. However, in 2020, Turkey declared the deal unenforceable and ceased accepting returns, possibly influencing Greek coastguard actions and contributing to migrant fatalities.
