Capsizing of Refugee Ship in Greece; Dozens Missing

After at least 78 refugees were killed in a capsized ship off the coast of Greece, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights urged countries to combat human trafficking. Witness reports indicate that between 400 and 750 people were aboard a fishing vessel that capsized and sank approximately 80 kilometers from the coastal city of Pylos around 2 AM on Wednesday, June 14. Immediately following the incident, 104 survivors and the bodies of 78 deceased individuals were brought ashore by Greek authorities, but no additional passengers have been found since. Hopes of finding more survivors have diminished, and concerns are rising about the drowning of hundreds more, including children, in the overcrowded hold of the ship. Jeremy Lawrence, a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, told reporters in Geneva, "What happened highlights the need for an investigation into human traffickers and ensuring their prosecution." Dimitris Chaliotis, a volunteer with the Greek Red Cross involved in the rescue operation, told Reuters that most migrants were from Libya and Syria. A Greek shipping ministry official stated that 9 Egyptian nationals have been arrested in connection with the sinking. Greek television 'Sky' reported that the ship had departed from Egypt and had stopped at the port of Tobruk, Libya, before heading towards Italy. Greece is one of the main entry routes for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa into the European Union. The United Nations has recorded over 20,000 deaths and disappearances in the central Mediterranean since 2014. The International Organization for Migration released statistics earlier this month indicating that nearly 3,800 people lost their lives while migrating from the Middle East and North Africa last year, the highest figure recorded in the region since 2017. On the evening of Thursday, June 15, thousands of protesters demonstrated in Athens and the northern city of Thessaloniki, calling for a reduction in the European Union's immigration restrictions. In Kalamata, protesters rallied outside a migrant shelter. Alexis Tsipras, the former Prime Minister and leader of the leftist Syriza party, during a visit to Kalamata, stated that the EU's immigration policy would turn the Mediterranean Sea into a "graveyard." Greece, under the conservative government that was in power until last month, adopted a tougher stance on immigration and border control. The country is currently governed by a caretaker government, with elections scheduled for June 25. The search for the capsized vessel carrying hundreds of refugees in the Mediterranean continues.