On 3 February 2026, we witnessed again the murderous practices of the Hellenic Coast Guard. Fifteen people are confirmed dead. Twenty-four have been hospitalized, some of them in critical condition. The number of missing is still unknown.
Once more, the direct involvement of the Hellenic Coast Guard is undeniable. Yet we hear the same old official story. According to the narrative of the authorities, a boat carrying dozens of migrants who were trying to seek safety, ignored the signals from the HCG patrol boat – much bigger and much faster – and instead tried to ram it. All the victims came from the migrant’s side. Once again the state-of-the-art recording equipment onboard HCG was not working, despite legal obligations. Once again, according to the narrative, those responsible for this crime are not the Coast Guard crew, supposedly legally responsible and trained for such operations, but an unidentifiable smuggling network. Once again, we will hear the investigation pointing to passengers of the migrant boat, those who were seeking safety, in an attempt to shift the blame from the Hellenic Coast Guard’s responsibilities.
While the final number of casualties remains unknown, the competent authorities and ministries are already building up the narrative that aims, once again, to patronize the public discourse and offer immunity to those who are truly guilty.
The narrative is militarized: a “hybrid war that is unfolding at the borders of the country” has been expressed, following the latest deaths, by the Vice Minister of Migration and Asylum. The men and women of the Hellenic Coast Guard are presented as soldiers on the frontline, fulfilling their “patriotic duty”. People on the move have been instrumentalized as part of this war, and are being presented as a threat to the stability and national identity of the country, the “dangerous other”. And when death occurs, the victims appear only as collateral damage in this “conflict” and the “evil smugglers” are solely responsible.
In 2025, 92 people were confirmed dead in the Aegean, in relation to 33 different incidents, 24 of which were shipwrecks. We are aware that the accurate number is much higher, considering undocumented incidents. For years now we have seen how the deterrence practices, such as pushbacks, have become systematic. Dangerous boat pursuits, often with the use of live ammunition, are commonplace, as are direct attacks on the vessels with the theft or destruction of their driving equipment. People are being kidnapped and left adrift in the middle of the sea. These have become the main border management tools, and the death toll is rising.
All these deaths are not accidents, nor isolated incidents, but the consequence of Greek and European border and migration policies. They are systematic state crimes for which nobody is held accountable. Lives are lost, which seek for justice.
We cannot let this continue. We will not accept any loss, any injury, any traumatization of people who only seek safety and peace. We don’t want to continue living in a society based on discrimination, exploitation and hate.
We express our grief for the people lost once again. We offer our condolences to their friends and families. We share our rage against those who are directly and indirectly responsible for yet another crime.
We demand:
- A thorough investigation into the causes of the “Chios shipwreck” and the prosecution of those truly responsible.
- The provision of necessary psychosocial support and international protection to all survivors.
- The immediate end to the increasingly deadly violence at the border.
