Greece - Instructions on Migrants

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Melody

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www.aegeansailingschool.com
We've received a letter from the Greek Ministry of Merchant Marine advising us of the correct course of action to take if we come across any boats with migrants.

I thought it might be useful to post an English translation here for others sailing in Greece, either on their own boat or chartering, so they know what to do. Please note the warning about picking people up. I know of boats that have been impounded for rescuing people without notifying the authorities. If you charter, the clause about not carrying anyone not on the crew list is always part of the agreement you sign.

Instructions how to tackle illegal immigrants

In case of a Search and Rescue (SAR) situation:

• The closest Hellenic Coast Guard authority in the vicinity should be alerted either via VHF (channels 12 or 16) or through a phone call.
• The Joint Search & Rescue Coordination Center of the Hellenic Coast Guard must also be alerted by phone call to +302131371704.

In case illegal immigrants have been spotted on a ship at sea in a situation other than SAR:

• The closest Hellenic Coast Guard authority in the vicinity should be alerted either via VHF (channels 12 or 16) or through a phone call.
• The Operations Center of the Hellenic Coast Guard must also be alerted by phone call to +302131371627.

In every case, you should note that, in principle, it is forbidden to carry onboard anyone else other than those specifically mentioned in a yacht’s crew list. In a rescue situation, Skippers will have to provide assistance, but only after they inform the authorities, as they risk their yacht being confiscated up until proven extra passengers onboard were part of a rescue operation, not human trafficking.

Ideally, skippers should alert the ship owner first of all.
Click to expand...

We also have MMSI numbers for the various Port Authorities to call - the table hasn't copied properly but I hope you can understand it.

MMSI PORT AUTHORITIES

PORT AUTHORITY CALL CODE PORT AUTHORITY CALL CODE
AG.KIRIKOS 237673810 LEFKAS 237673570
AG.NIKOLAOS 237673110 LEROS 237673570
AIDIPSOS 237673280 MEGISTIS 237673580
AIGINA 237673270 MILOS 237673590
AIGIO 237673280 MINISTRY 237673000
ALEXANDROUPOLIS 237673310 MITILINI 237673220
ANDROS 237673320 MYKONOS 237673610
ANTIKIRA 237673330 MYRINA 237673240
ASTYPALAIA 237673340 MYTHIMNA 237673760
CHIOS 237673750 N.VION 237673630
CORFU 237673190 NAXOS 237673620
ELEUSINA 237673370 NIDRI LEFKAS 237673880
FOURNOI IKARIAS 237673840 PAROS 237673640
GAVRIO 237673350 PATMOS 237673790
GYTHEIO 237673360 PATRA 237673140
HALKIDA 237673120 PILOS 237673230
HGOUMENITSA 237673390 PIRAEUS 237673650
HRAKLEIO 237673180 POLYXNITOU 237673660
IERAPETRA 237673250 PYTHAGOREIO 237673670
IERISSOS 237673420 RAFINA 237673680
ISTHMIA 237673430 RETHYMNO 237673690
ITEA 237673440 RHODES 237673150
ITHAKI 237673770 SAMOS 237673260
KALAMATA 237673460 SAMOTHRAKI 237673820
KALYMNOS 237673470 SITIA 237673710
KARPATHOS 237673480 SKYROS 237673830
KARYSTOS 237673490 STYLIDA 237673720
KASOS 237673510 SYMI 237673780
KATAKOLO 237673520 SYROS 237673730
KAVALA 237673450 THESSALONIKI 237673210
KEFALLINIA 237673530 THIRA 237673410
KOS 237673160 TINOS 237673740
KYMI 237673540 VOLOS 237673170
LAVRIO 237673550 ZAKYNTHOS 237673380
 
Formatted:

mmsi port authorities

[table="width: 100%"]
[tr][td]PORT AUTHORITY[/td][td]CALL CODE[/td][td]PORT AUTHORITY[/td][td]CALL CODE[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]AG.KIRIKOS[/td][td]237673810[/td][td]LEFKAS[/td][td]237673570[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]AG.NIKOLAOS[/td][td]237673110[/td][td]LEROS[/td][td]237673570[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]AIDIPSOS[/td][td]237673280[/td][td]MEGISTIS[/td][td]237673580[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]AIGINA[/td][td]237673270[/td][td]MILOS[/td][td]237673590[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]AIGIO[/td][td]237673280[/td][td]MINISTRY[/td][td]237673000[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]ALEXANDROUPOLIS[/td][td]237673310[/td][td]MITILINI[/td][td]237673220[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]ANDROS[/td][td]237673320[/td][td]MYKONOS[/td][td]237673610[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]ANTIKIRA[/td][td]237673330[/td][td]MYRINA[/td][td]237673240[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]ASTYPALAIA[/td][td]237673340[/td][td]MYTHIMNA[/td][td]237673760[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]CHIOS[/td][td]237673750[/td][td]N.VION[/td][td]237673630[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]CORFU[/td][td]237673190[/td][td]NAXOS[/td][td]237673620[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]ELEUSINA[/td][td]237673370[/td][td]NIDRI LEFKAS[/td][td]237673880[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]FOURNOI IKARIAS[/td][td]237673840[/td][td]PAROS[/td][td]237673640[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]GAVRIO[/td][td]237673350[/td][td]PATMOS[/td][td]237673790[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]GYTHEIO[/td][td]237673360[/td][td]PATRA[/td][td]237673140[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]HALKIDA[/td][td]237673120[/td][td]PILOS[/td][td]237673230[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]HGOUMENITSA[/td][td]237673390[/td][td]PIRAEUS[/td][td]237673650[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]HRAKLEIO[/td][td]237673180[/td][td]POLYXNITOU[/td][td]237673660[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]IERAPETRA[/td][td]237673250[/td][td]PYTHAGOREIO[/td][td]237673670[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]IERISSOS[/td][td]237673420[/td][td]RAFINA[/td][td]237673680[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]ISTHMIA[/td][td]237673430[/td][td]RETHYMNO[/td][td]237673690[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]ITEA[/td][td]237673440[/td][td]RHODES[/td][td]237673150[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]ITHAKI[/td][td]237673770[/td][td]SAMOS[/td][td]237673260[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]KALAMATA[/td][td]237673460[/td][td]SAMOTHRAKI[/td][td]237673820[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]KALYMNOS[/td][td]237673470[/td][td]SITIA[/td][td]237673710[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]KARPATHOS[/td][td]237673480[/td][td]SKYROS[/td][td]237673830[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]KARYSTOS[/td][td]237673490[/td][td]STYLIDA[/td][td]237673720[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]KASOS[/td][td]237673510[/td][td]SYMI[/td][td]237673780[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]KATAKOLO[/td][td]237673520[/td][td]SYROS[/td][td]237673730[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]KAVALA[/td][td]237673450[/td][td]THESSALONIKI[/td][td]237673210[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]KEFALLINIA[/td][td]237673530[/td][td]THIRA[/td][td]237673410[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]KOS[/td][td]237673160[/td][td]TINOS[/td][td]237673740[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]KYMI[/td][td]237673540[/td][td]VOLOS[/td][td]237673170[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]LAVRIO[/td][td]237673550[/td][td]ZAKYNTHOS[/td][td]237673380[/td][/tr]
[/table]
 
Many thanks Melody and Strolls. Invaluable to know the required procedures in these unfortunate circumstances.
 
JumbleDuck said:
How would one know whether they were illegal immigrants or not?
Click to expand...
Desperate illegal migrants or members of this forum, it may indeed be difficult to distinguish:

YHQKXER.jpg
 
There was a great programme on Radio 4 the Moral Maze last week

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05xh31j

In it you can hear a ship captain describe the obligation he is under. I guess the same will apply to sailing boats, but I doubt that the greek instruction are wort the paper they are written on. If they see you I am sure they will board you and you will have to take them where they want to go. To suggest that you have a choice in the matter under threat of confiscation is madness, you will be facing piracy.
 
Seven Spades said:
There was a great programme on Radio 4 the Moral Maze last week

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05xh31j

In it you can hear a ship captain describe the obligation he is under. I guess the same will apply to sailing boats, but I doubt that the greek instruction are wort the paper they are written on. If they see you I am sure they will board you and you will have to take them where they want to go. To suggest that you have a choice in the matter under threat of confiscation is madness, you will be facing piracy.
Click to expand...

Which is why the Cruising Association are advising members to turn away as soon as they see a migrant boat and head rapidly in the other direction. If you feel you must make a VHF call about them (if they appear to be in distress for example) it's best to do so once you are over their horizon. The CA has already had one report of a yacht being chased for four hours by a migrant boat, they only just got away.
 
Rather brings it home...

We'd left Gibraltar heading NE when Tarifa Radio made a PanPan along the lines of 'All ships, keep a lookout for rubber boat with 41 persons aboard, believed heading from Morocco to the Spanish coast. Report any sightings to this station'.

It was repeated several times through the night.
 
Yes there is a steady trickle coming across from Morocco .The Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Mellila are surrounded by high fences to keep out the refugees as in Calais.But the thousands escaping from the conflicts make the Spanish problem look very small.
 
We have been sailing in Turkish waters all summer and have seen immigrant boats heading to Greek islands in the early morning, Lesvos and Kos. Their boats have been large black ribs with 20 HP motors, doing a fair speed. None have shown any interest in stopping us, one off Lesvos was very cheerful, singing and waving a greeting! We have also seen one off Bodrum that had a broken down motor and was about to be taken in tow by the Turkish coastguard. This seems a frequent happening as the coastguard station each morning had a new collection of fifty or sixty disconsolate looking people sitting on the quayside awaiting registration. The waters around Bodrum have lots of discarded life jackets ( we fished out the first two to check no bodies, then left the rest where they floated) and an amazing number of inflated inner tubes. The Turks must be doing great business!
 
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