Frontex has published a report on the deadly Lesbos shipwreck of 2025, which for the first time openly refers to responsibilities of the Hellenic Coast Guard, stating that the dangerous maneuvers carried out by its vessel violated the refugees’ right to life.
The shipwreck occurred on April 3, 2025, off the coast of Skala Sykamnias on the island of Lesbos. According to survivor testimonies cited by Refugee Support Aegean, when the boat was near Lesbos and within Greek territorial waters, a vessel of the Hellenic Coast Guard approached them.
The Hellenic Coast Guard has repeatedly faced accusations of similar violations, while the maneuvers involved in the Lesbos shipwreck (03.05) were reportedly captured on video.
The refugees called for help, while Coast Guard personnel, using poles and concealing their identities, shouted at them to return to Turkey. The boat eventually sank.
The report further concludes: “The Hellenic Coast Guard has been accused in various Serious Incident Reports (SIRs), including SIR 10463/2024, and has even been recorded on video conducting maneuvers around migrant boats with the aim of deterring them. […] The Office cannot determine with precision to what extent the shipwreck was caused by these maneuvers, or whether they had no effect on the actual sinking. However, it is convinced that such maneuvers, as described by the migrants, and the waves they generate or amplify, are indeed capable of damaging a fragile migrant vessel and therefore putting the lives of those on board at risk.”
Source: Refugee Support Aegean
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