06/11/2025
Today, we have written to the mayors of the Aegean islands.
Every week, people in distress contact Aegean Boat Report — families lost at sea, or newly arrived on land, terrified and desperate for help.
When this happens, we do what we have done for years: we call the authorities — the Coast Guard, the police — to pass on information so that lives can be saved.
But too often, we are met with hesitation, denial, or even hostility.
Calls are ignored, arguments start, and sometimes, the phone is simply hung up — while people are in immediate danger.
We are tired of having to argue when lives are at risk.
This is not how a democracy, bound by international law and human rights principles, should act when people are in distress.
We should not have to debate humanity each time someone asks for help.
That is why we have appealed to the mayors — asking them, on humanitarian grounds, to remind local police and Coast Guard officers to act in accordance with international law and render assistance without delay.
When people are not rescued in time, it is often local residents who find the bodies — children discovering the dead on beaches, or fishermen pulling them from the sea together with their fish.
These scenes are deeply traumatic and leave lasting scars on island communities that have already carried this burden for years.
Preventing such tragedies through professional, lawful, and humane response is not only a moral duty — it is a matter of respect for life and for the people who live on these islands.
If there are mayors that, for some reason, haven’t received their email, they can download it here 👉🌐 www.aegeanboatreport.com
— Aegean Boat Report
