Around 8 refugees and migrants died after drowning off the Greek coast as the coastguard chased their boat in the Aegean Sea.
The speedboat capsized near Rhodes Island as it tried to escape the Greek Coast Guard’s Patrol vessel.
The boat’s driver lost control, resulting in many people falling overboard, per authorities, although 18 people were rescued.
Bodies of 8 people were also recovered while a helicopter looked around for any survivors. It is unclear how many were on the boat.
Authorities stated they identified the boat with migrants and refugees as it tried to disembark people close to Afandou beach on the east coast of Rhodes Island.
According to Greek media outlet Kathimerini, the boat collided with the coast guard ship, after which the driver was arrested.
Greece witnessed a 25% increase in the number of migrant and refugee entries with a 30% rise in Rhodes and the southeastern Aegean region, per the Ministry of Migration and Asylum.
At the end of last month, 9 people, including 6 minors and 2 women died after two boats sank in two different accidents close to Lesbos and Samos islands. Five more died near Crete Island in early December when their boat sank.
Greece is blamed for using a hostile approach towards migrants in the last few years.
Its coastguard has been accused by humanitarian groups of deliberately capsizing migrant vessels by trying to tow them or by preventing the people from disembarking.
The EU also reported evidence of human rights abuses at the recently built European Union-funded refugee camps on the Aegean Islands including allegations of sexual violence against children.
References: Al Jazeera, Arab News