The fatal injury of an immigrant from Kuwait in the pursuit of a slave trading boat by the Coast Guard off Symi dramatically brings to the surface the change in tactics of the traffickers.

Turkish traffickers are now using speedboats like this one, which was chased by a Coast Guard helicopter, to transport migrants to the Greek islands

Thanks to engines with a horsepower of up to 400 horsepower, the slavers’ boats develop great speeds. At the sight of the Coast Guard their operators try to escape. Chases – often armed – are becoming a daily occurrence.

On August 5, during a pursuit, officers of the Coast Guard injured a Turkish slave trader in the abdomen, while a few days earlier, an incident involving the use of fire by traffickers also took place in Chios

Since the beginning of the year, 200 incidents of trafficking using high-speed boats have been recorded. Most in Rhodes, Symi and Tilos.

The two Turkish operators of the speedboat involved in yesterday’s murderous pursuit in Symi were brought to the public prosecutor of Rhodes today.

The Maritime Court of Piraeus is also conducting an investigation into the incident, with the victim being the 39-year-old immigrant.

It seems that the change in the tactics of the slave trade rings is responsible for the increase in migration flows recorded since the beginning of the year. Indicatively, while in the period January – July 2023 the number of arrivals had reached 8,921, in the corresponding period this year, i.e. from the beginning of the year until July, 22,089 immigrants have arrived in Greece.

Arrivals of immigrants in the Upper Aegean

  • 2023 JANUARY – JULY 8,921
  • 2024 JANUARY – JULY 22,089

Arrivals of immigrants in the Upper Aegean

  • JULY 2023 2,737
  • JULY 2024 3,995

The highest pressure is recorded during the summer months. In July 2023, 2,737 immigrants came to Greece, while this July their number reaches 4,000. Arrivals are greater in Rhodes, Tilos, Symi and Kos, because the distance that separates the Turkish coasts from the specific islands is short and thus they can quickly reach the Greek coasts with high-speed boats.

Greater immigration pressure

  • Rhodes
  • End
  • Symi
  • Kos