The number of refugees and migrants arriving on Greece's East Aegean islands in 2021 hit its lowest level since the start of the refugee crisis in the Aegean some nine years ago.
According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on Thursday, 4,109 people crossed from Turkey to the Greek islands last year. This compares to 9,714 the year before and just under 60,000 in 2019. At the height of the refugee crisis in 2015, 856,723 people crossed.
The Greek coastguard has been controlling the sea border with Turkey very strictly since 2019, dpa reported.
Human rights organizations complain that there are illegal pushbacks to Turkey. Athens repeatedly states that its security forces protect European borders in accordance with international law.
Because of these tight controls in the straits between Turkey and the Greek islands, smugglers and migrants have increasingly opted for new routes.
Around 11,000 people are said to have managed to reach Italy in recent months on a route from Turkey through the Aegean and Ionian seas. There are no official figures on how many people have died in the process, but the number is believed to be large.
In December alone, at least 30 people drowned on this route, according to the Greek coastguard.
Because of the long journey through the Mediterranean Sea south or north of Crete, according to the Greek coastguard, there are often engine failures or leaks on the often outdated boats that smuggling gangs sell to people.
