Greek police have found 38 refugees who had been reported stranded on an islet in the Evros River on the border between Greece and Turkey, according to AP News.
Police announced they found 22 men, 9 women and 7 children on Monday at a site in the Greek area of Lavara approximately four kilometres south of the coordinates of their initially reported position.
One of the female refugees is pregnant. The group told police they are from Syria.
“Since they were located, Greek police forces and other government services have rushed to their aid, to provide healthcare, food and water and to transfer them to an area of temporary accommodation,” police said in a statement.
Greek Migration Minister, Notis Mitarachi, added on Twitter that the refugees were in good condition and the pregnant woman was being transferred to hospital out of precaution.
The positive outcome comes after the refugees said they were forced on the islet by Turkish authorities on August 7, according to AlJazeera.
Greek authorities had been notified of their location and activists had made emergency calls on their behalf to police, but officials said in their statement at the time that the refugees were located at a point “outside Greek territory.”
The Evros land border is a frequent crossing point for those wishing to claim asylum in Europe, but many reports have documented violent Greek pushbacks in recent months, as well as incidents where people have been made to cross by Turkish authorities.
Source: AP News.
