On 16 September 2025, Aegean Boat Report issued a public allegation concerning the pushback, on 12 September, of approximately 80 individuals, including children, from the waters near Tilos toward Turkish territorial waters, allegedly involving Greek authorities.
According to the organisation, videos sent from the boat show people crying desperately for help, while a vessel of the Hellenic Coast Guard circled the boat with its searchlights on. Eyewitnesses reported that the Coast Guard even fired shots at the vessel, for reasons unknown.
Aegean Boat Report added that when it contacted the Coast Guard, officials claimed they had searched the area but “found nothing.” The organisation described this as “a blatant lie,” noting that at the same time authorities denied knowledge, video footage from the boat clearly showed a vessel with searchlights operating at close distance. Passengers described it as a grey boat with blue stripes on the bow, features consistent with a Coast Guard vessel.
The organisation further stated that it later received information indicating that the passengers had been taken on board a Coast Guard vessel. However, contrary to maritime law and established rescue procedures, none of the individuals were brought ashore. Instead, the entire group of around 80 people reportedly disappeared without a trace.
According to Aegean Boat Report, on the morning of 13 September, the Turkish Coast Guard announced that it had located four boats off the coast of Marmaris, carrying 74 people, including 18 children. Sixty‑seven were Iranian nationals and seven Iraqi. The organisation noted that this recovery corresponds exactly to the timeline and number of individuals who had reportedly disappeared near Tinos.
The allegation raises serious concerns regarding compliance with international law, as the pushback of refugees is prohibited under Article 33 of the 1951 Refugee Convention.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has repeatedly expressed concern about such practices. On 21 February 2022, UNHCR publicly voiced its its deep concern at the “increasing number of incidents of violence and serious human rights violations against refugees and migrants at various European borders, several of which have resulted in tragic loss of life.” The statement made specific reference to Greece, noting repeated and systematic reports from Greece’s land and sea borders with Turkey, and documenting nearly 540 incidents of informal returns since early 2020. High Commissioner Filippo Grandi highlighted testimonies of people abandoned at sea on inflatable rafts or forced into the water,” describing such actions as showing “callous disregard for human life.
In a State governed by the rule of law, authorities must refrain from unlawful pushbacks of refugees and migrants.
Greece is required under international law to ensure effective procedures for international protection, safeguarding individuals fleeing war, authoritarian regimes, and other serious risks in their countries of origin.
As UNHCR has stressed, border surveillance measures must comply fully with human rights and refugee law, including the 1951 Convention. States must uphold their obligations and respect fundamental rights such as the right to life and the right to asylum.
The allegation described above, which must be investigated by the Greek authorities, raises concerns of potential violations of international law and Article 33 of the 1951 Refugee Convention, which prohibits refoulement.
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