Eastern and Southern Med, anyone changed/changing their plans?

[usernamenotvalid]

Given all the dramas in the Eastern and Southern Med is anyone re thinking their situation or plans to be in or move around the area? Chances of coming across a refugee ship. Increase in displaced people moving around the area, possibly desperate, and short of resources. How about liveaboards in the area? Do you feel as secure as you did say a year or so ago?
Personal knowledge of the area is from well over forty years ago so fairly useless. Am due to visit a few places in Italy, Greece and possibly Turkey if time permits, in a couple of months time. Not at all worried about Italy/Greece. Turkey is a total unknown to me though. Would appreciate anyone's thoughts.
Cheers John.

 

[macd]

I've not heard of this being a particular issue for yotties in Turkey, at least as far east as Antalya and quite probably beyond. If anything, there have been more issues in Greece (i.e.one of the places refugees are going to, not from). One forumite, Norna Biron, was instrumental in rescueing several refugees who'd been turfed overboard off a Greek island, and roundly and rightly applauded for his efforts. On Samos a few months earlier, the coastguards were shivvied into tightening up their act (to the very minor inconvnience of visting leisure craft) when another sorry bunch of refugees almost drowned offshore. But apart from the tragic plight of the victims, I don't know anyone who sees it as a significant issue for cruisers in the countries you mention.

You also mention "southern" Med, by which you probably mean Africa. Afraid I've no experience of those waters (although, like you, I imagine, I read the news).

 

[NornaBiron]

After our experience of rescuing 11 people from the water, we'll now be much more selective about where we drop our anchor on moonless nights. Symi often receives refugees (there were 4 or 5 drops along the coast on the night we were involved) so we won't be anchoring on the east coast of that island on dark nights!

After several failed attempts to contact local services by radio and phone, including a mayday, we telephoned Falmouth coastguard and they helped out. In hindsight this was probably a good thing as the first thing the Greek Port Police wanted to know was where the refugees came from - we got the impression that they weren't far from accusing us of bringing them over.