Aegean Boat Report

We monitor people movements in the Aegean Sea, advocacy on human rights, a voice for people on the move, their rights are our rights.

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

AEGEAN BOAT REPORT

WEEKLY UPDATE – WEEK 42 (OCTOBER 12–18)

This week, 24 boats carrying 696 people attempted to reach the Greek Aegean Islands.

🚫 13 boats were stopped/pushed back — 388 people intercepted
✅ 11 boats arrived — 308 people were officially registered on the islands

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Of all boats that attempted the journey:

✅ 45.8% reached Greece
🚫 54.2% were intercepted by the Turkish Coast Guard or police

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📈 Arrivals increased by 136.9% compared to last week.
➡️ The number of registered boats arriving on the islands increased from 5 last week to 11 this week.
➡️ The total number of boats departing towards the Greek islands increased from 19 to 24.

📉 Transfers to the mainland decreased by 34.7%, with 297 people relocated.

👥 Official island population: 7,142

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So far this year:

🚫 514 boats carrying 11,911 people have been intercepted by the Turkish Coast Guard or police.
✅ 267 boats carrying 7,360 people have reached the Greek Aegean Islands.

These numbers should have been significantly higher were it not for pushbacks carried out by the Hellenic Coast Guard.

Transfers to the mainland remain essential to reduce pressure on reception facilities. Transfers decreased this week, while the official island population rose by 309 people compared to last week. Over the last 30 days, the population has increased by 1,316 people. This increase reflects transfers from Crete to the Aegean islands, alongside arrivals from Türkiye. If arrivals and transfers from Crete exceed departures to the mainland, the island population will increase further.

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Despite increasing pressure on our organisation and the continued criminalisation of humanitarian work, Aegean Boat Report continues to monitor the Aegean around the clock, documenting arrivals and human rights violations, and ensuring that people in distress are not left without a voice.

If you want to support our work, please consider making a donation:

https://t.co/o3tYlVqZVo

Every contribution helps us continue monitoring the Aegean 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

@LeijtensFrontex , — three years of cameras, interviews and carefully presented «transparency». But when @DavidYambio wanted to challenge you directly, @Frontex refused.

You were willing to face the documentary cameras. Why not face the people whose lives are affected by your agency’s actions?

Is this what accountability means at Frontex — public scrutiny, but only on your terms?

You have had ample opportunity to tell your story. Why should David Yambio be denied the opportunity to challenge it to your face?

The floor is yours, Mr Leijtens. No editing, no intermediaries, no carefully managed format.

Just answer the question.

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

FRONTEX REFUSES PUBLIC SCRUTINY — AND THE ORGANISERS HELPED MAKE IT POSSIBLE

Frontex refused to face one of its strongest critics in public. The organisers tried to accommodate that refusal. And another outspoken critic, who spent three years participating in the documentary, was never invited.

This is what the filmmakers behind The Gates of Europe apparently consider an open debate about accountability.

On 21 October, the filmmakers and Pakhuis de Zwijger announced the cancellation of their planned public debate with Frontex Executive Director Hans Leijtens in Amsterdam.

Their explanation is extraordinary.

According to their own statement, Frontex refused to allow Leijtens to engage in a direct public debate with David Yambio of Refugees in Libya, citing unspecified legal reasons.

Instead of insisting on equal conditions, the organisers attempted to accommodate Frontex's refusal.

David could present his experiences and criticism. Leijtens could answer questions from the audience. But a direct public confrontation between them was apparently off the table.

They even proposed a private meeting.

A private meeting. Away from the cameras, the audience, and public scrutiny.

David refused to accept these unequal conditions, and the event was cancelled.

Yet the organisers' explanation places considerable emphasis on David's withdrawal rather than Frontex's original refusal.

David Yambio did not prevent public accountability. Frontex refused to face him, and the organisers attempted to accommodate that refusal.

The organisers now regret losing an opportunity to hold Frontex accountable. But accountability cannot depend on whether the institution being scrutinised finds the conditions acceptable.

WHY WAS AEGEAN BOAT REPORT NEVER INVITED?

Our founder, Tommy Olsen, was extensively filmed over three years and is one of the documentary's main characters, alongside Hans Leijtens, Tineke, David Yambio and Romy.

For three years, Tommy invested enormous time in the production, providing the filmmakers with access to his work, documentation and evidence of what happens at Europe's borders.

Before broadcast, he withdrew his participation because of serious concerns about the documentary's portrayal of Frontex and its leadership.

Following its release, Aegean Boat Report, Front-LEX and Refugees in Libya publicly condemned what we considered the documentary's whitewashing of Frontex.

Yet when the filmmakers organised a public debate about their own controversial documentary, Aegean Boat Report was not even invited.

They were willing to spend three years filming Tommy Olsen, documenting his work and using his experiences to tell their story. But when it came time to publicly defend that story against criticism, Aegean Boat Report was nowhere on the programme.

Our work was important enough for their documentary. Apparently, our criticism was not important enough for their debate.

Not even an invitation to participate remotely.

Why?

We cannot know the organisers' private reasoning, but we have our own assessment.

Perhaps because Tommy would have challenged not only Hans Leijtens, but the filmmakers themselves.

He knows what information they had, what evidence was available, and what questions should have been asked.

He would have confronted them about their editorial decisions, their portrayal of Frontex, and why their own journalistic accountability document acknowledges extensive evidence of human rights violations while leaving fundamental questions about their editorial choices unanswered.

Perhaps that is precisely the kind of criticism they did not want on stage.

THIS IS NOT ACCOUNTABILITY. IT IS MANAGED CRITICISM.

The filmmakers spent three years documenting Frontex, gaining extraordinary access to its leadership while possessing extensive evidence of pushbacks and serious human rights violations.

Yet three participating human rights organisations publicly condemned the resulting documentary for whitewashing the agency.

Now, when an opportunity arises to confront these criticisms, Frontex refuses direct public scrutiny, David Yambio is offered unequal conditions, and another central character and outspoken critic was never invited.

This is not simply a failed debate. It raises fundamental questions about who controls the narrative, whose criticism is considered acceptable, and who gets excluded when that criticism becomes uncomfortable.

The filmmakers and organisers owe the public an explanation.

Why did they attempt to accommodate Frontex's refusal to face David Yambio instead of insisting on a direct public debate?

Why was one of the documentary's central characters and strongest critics never invited?

And how can they claim to have created an opportunity for meaningful accountability when direct confrontation with Frontex was not guaranteed and one of the documentary's most outspoken critics was absent from the programme?

You cannot spend three years documenting power, then allow that power to determine the conditions under which it will be questioned.

And you cannot claim to defend independent journalism while failing to provide a platform for those who challenge your editorial decisions.

For three years, the filmmakers were willing to listen to our evidence, film our work and use our experiences to tell their story.

But when it came time to defend that story publicly, our criticism apparently had no place in the debate.

Frontex refused to face David Yambio. Aegean Boat Report was never invited. And the organisers call this a lost opportunity for accountability.

We call it something else.

A demonstration of exactly how powerful institutions can be protected from the scrutiny they claim to welcome.

Aegean Boat Report

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

For transparency, both the organisers' statement of 21 October 2026 concerning the cancellation of the public debate and the production company's Journalistic Accountability Document are available for download on the Aegean Boat Report website.

We encourage everyone to examine both documents and draw their own conclusions.

https://t.co/jgdkJ0kJ6D

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

TWELVE PEOPLE ARE DEAD. UNHCR, WHERE IS YOUR DEMAND FOR ACCOUNTABILITY?

Twelve refugees, including an infant, died off Lesvos and Samos on 19 October.

Two separate tragedies. Two encounters involving the Greek Coast Guard. Twelve lives lost.

UNHCR responded with expressions of sorrow, warnings against indifference and familiar calls for safer pathways.

All important. None sufficient.

Because one crucial demand was missing:

An explicit call for an independent investigation into the actions of the Greek Coast Guard.

Off Lesvos, six people died following a collision with a Coast Guard vessel. Off Samos, six others died after their boat capsized during an encounter with a Greek patrol vessel.

The circumstances remain unresolved. The authorities' explanations have not been independently established.

Yet UNHCR's public response fails to confront the most uncomfortable question: What role, if any, did the actions of the Greek Coast Guard play in these deaths?

This is not a question UNHCR should be afraid to ask.

In previous statements, UNHCR has praised Greek Coast Guard rescue operations. It has also acknowledged that dangerous interception practices and pursuits at sea can endanger human lives.

If UNHCR can publicly praise the Coast Guard when lives are saved, why can it not explicitly demand independent scrutiny when lives are lost?

We are not asking UNHCR to prejudge the outcome or accuse anyone without evidence.

We are asking it to insist that the evidence be examined independently.

That means preserving navigation records, operational communications and surveillance footage. It means ensuring survivors can testify freely, without intimidation or interference. And it means examining the conduct of state authorities with the same determination applied to suspected smugglers.

These are not extraordinary demands. They are the minimum standards of accountability.

UNHCR has a mandate to protect refugees. That responsibility cannot be reduced to expressing sadness after they die.

We recognise that UNHCR must maintain working relationships with governments. But those relationships must never become a reason to avoid publicly demanding scrutiny of the authorities involved in fatal incidents.

Diplomatic caution must not come at the expense of refugee protection.

And neutrality does not mean remaining equally distant from those who exercise state power and those whose lives depend on how that power is used.

UNHCR, we have three straightforward questions:

Why did your statement not explicitly demand an independent investigation into both incidents?

Will you publicly call for the preservation and independent examination of all relevant evidence, including evidence held by the Greek Coast Guard?

And will you insist that the survivors' accounts are heard independently before any official version is accepted as fact?

Twelve people are dead. Their families deserve more than condolences.

They deserve answers. They deserve accountability. And they deserve a United Nations Refugee Agency willing to demand both without hesitation.

UNHCR, protecting refugees sometimes means confronting the governments you work with.

This is one of those moments.

Aegean Boat Report
@Refugees @UNHCRGreece @UNHCRgov

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

MR KIKILIAS, THE TRUTH IS NOT YOURS TO DECIDE

Aegean Boat Report | 19 October 2026

Six people, including an infant, are dead following a collision involving a Greek Coast Guard vessel off Lesvos.

Greek Maritime Minister Vassilis Kikilias expressed sadness and anger, then immediately blamed smugglers, despite acknowledging that the circumstances remain under investigation.

Apparently, the investigation is still ongoing, but the minister has already reached his conclusion.

Mr Kikilias, you are politically responsible for the very institution involved in these deaths. Your duty is to ensure an independent investigation, not to publicly defend the Coast Guard's version of events before the facts are established.

You claim the refugee boat struck the Coast Guard vessel.

Perhaps it did.

But knowing where two vessels collided is not the same as knowing who caused the collision.

What happened in the moments before impact? Which vessel manoeuvred, and how? Could the collision have been avoided?

These questions require evidence, not political declarations.

A minister cannot claim to demand the truth while publicly defending the institution whose actions must be investigated.

Outrage is easy. Accountability is considerably harder.

Will all navigation data, communications and recordings be preserved? Will survivors be heard independently? Will investigators have access to evidence that might contradict the official account?

The families of those who died deserve answers, not a predetermined explanation.

Mr Kikilias, your responsibility is not to protect the Coast Guard's reputation. It is to ensure that the truth is established, whatever that truth may reveal.

And if the evidence contradicts the account you have already presented, will you accept it and hold those responsible accountable?

Six people are dead. They deserve an investigation, not a verdict from a politician.

Aegean Boat Report

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

SIX DEAD AFTER BOAT CAPSIZES OFF SAMOS — WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE COAST GUARD ENCOUNTER?

Aegean Boat Report | 19 October 2026

Six refugees have died and fourteen others have been rescued after a speedboat capsized approximately 3.7 nautical miles (6.85 kilometres) north of Samos early Monday morning.

According to Greek authorities, the six victims were five men and one woman. All fourteen survivors are men.

Local media identify the area as being off Avlakia, on the northern coast of Samos.

The Greek Coast Guard claims the speedboat was travelling at high speed when it was initially detected by a Turkish Coast Guard vessel inside Turkish territorial waters.

The boat subsequently entered Greek territorial waters, where it was detected by a Greek Coast Guard patrol vessel.

According to the official account, the speedboat capsized following a sudden, sharp manoeuvre.

But the explanation leaves several important questions unanswered.

What happened when the Greek patrol vessel approached the refugee boat? Was there an attempt to intercept it? How close were the vessels, and what caused the sudden manoeuvre that allegedly led to the capsize?

The Greek authorities have not publicly provided sufficient information to establish the sequence of events or whether the patrol vessel's actions contributed to the tragedy.

The weather conditions were reportedly good.

The fourteen survivors were transported to Malagari port on Samos, with three people taken to Samos General Hospital for medical assistance.

Among those rescued was an Iranian national identified by Greek authorities as a suspected smuggler.

Search-and-rescue operations were continuing, involving Coast Guard vessels, an Air Force helicopter and the Hellenic Rescue Team. The total number of people originally aboard remains unclear.

Aegean Boat Report stresses that the circumstances of this tragedy must be independently investigated.

The testimony of survivors, operational communications, vessel movements and any available surveillance footage will be essential to establishing what actually happened.

A sudden manoeuvre does not explain why that manoeuvre was made.

And the presence of a Greek Coast Guard vessel does not, by itself, establish responsibility for the capsize.

But six people have lost their lives during an encounter with maritime authorities, and the circumstances demand answers.

Earlier the same morning, six other refugees, including an infant, died following a collision involving a Greek Coast Guard vessel off Lesvos.

Twelve lives lost in two separate incidents within hours.

Both tragedies require independent scrutiny, not simply the acceptance of official explanations.

Six people are dead off Samos. Their families deserve to know exactly why.

Aegean Boat Report

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

SIX MORE DEAD OFF LESVOS — HOW MANY MORE LIVES WILL GREECE SACRIFICE IN THE NAME OF BORDER MANAGEMENT?

Six more people are dead off Lesvos. Among them, an infant.

Once again, a Greek Coast Guard vessel was involved in a fatal collision. And once again, the familiar explanation: the refugee boat made dangerous manoeuvres, the suspected smuggler caused the collision, and the Coast Guard did nothing wrong.

The Coast Guard did everything right. The smuggler is responsible. The refugees are dead.

We have heard this before.

In February 2026, fifteen people died in a collision off Chios. Survivors challenged the Coast Guard's account. In another Chios collision, a prosecutor ordered criminal proceedings against a Coast Guard commander. Following a deadly incident off Lesvos in April 2025, a Frontex investigation identified dangerous Coast Guard manoeuvres.

ABR has repeatedly documented Greek Coast Guard vessels aggressively pursuing, circling and ramming refugee boats.

How many more deaths before these operations are seriously questioned?

Why must overcrowded boats already heading towards Greek islands be intercepted through dangerous manoeuvres? Why not allow safe disembarkation and investigate suspected smugglers ashore?

The authorities know the risks. They have seen the bodies. They have received the warnings.

And still, dangerous interceptions continue.

We do not yet know who caused the latest collision. An independent investigation is essential. All relevant Coast Guard and Frontex surveillance records and communications must be preserved.

But there is another disturbing contradiction.

While Greek authorities defend deadly border operations, they prosecute those documenting abuses.

ABR's founder faces criminal proceedings in Greece. **We consider this retaliation for years of exposing illegal pushbacks and dangerous Coast Guard practices.**

Greece cannot continue treating refugee deaths as an acceptable consequence of border management while criminalising those exposing violations.

The problem is not that people document what happens at Europe's borders.

The problem is what those documents reveal.

Aegean Boat Report

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

AEGEAN BOAT REPORT

WEEKLY UPDATE – WEEK 41 (OCTOBER 5–11)

Publication of this weekly update was delayed due to technical issues.

This week, 19 boats carrying 361 people attempted to reach the Greek Aegean Islands.

🚫 14 boats were stopped/pushed back — 231 people intercepted
✅ 5 boats arrived — 130 people were officially registered on the islands

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Of all boats that attempted the journey:

✅ 26.3% reached Greece
🚫 73.7% were intercepted by the Turkish Coast Guard or police

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📉 Arrivals decreased by 66.4% compared to last week.
➡️ The number of registered boats arriving on the islands decreased from 11 last week to 5 this week.
➡️ The total number of boats departing towards the Greek islands decreased from 25 to 19.

📈 Transfers to the mainland increased by 7.1%, with 455 people relocated.

👥 Official island population: 6,833

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So far this year:

🚫 501 boats carrying 11,523 people have been intercepted by the Turkish Coast Guard or police.
✅ 256 boats carrying 7,052 people have reached the Greek Aegean Islands.

These numbers should have been significantly higher were it not for pushbacks carried out by the Hellenic Coast Guard.

Transfers to the mainland remain essential to reduce pressure on reception facilities. Although transfers increased this week, the official island population rose by 513 people compared to last week. Over the last 30 days, the population has increased by 1,605 people. This increase reflects transfers from Crete to the Aegean islands, alongside arrivals from Türkiye. If arrivals and transfers from Crete exceed departures to the mainland, the island population will increase further.

⸻

Despite increasing pressure on our organisation and the continued criminalisation of humanitarian work, Aegean Boat Report continues to monitor the Aegean around the clock, documenting arrivals and human rights violations, and ensuring that people in distress are not left without a voice.

If you want to support our work, please consider making a donation:

https://t.co/o3tYlVqZVo

Every contribution helps us continue monitoring the Aegean 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

THREE ARRIVALS — TWO ON CHIOS, ONE ON FARMAKONISI — 106 PEOPLE

Thursday afternoon, a group reported to be 37 people contacted Aegean Boat Report after arriving northeast of Taxiarchis Babakas Beach, on the northeastern coast of Chios.

We advised them to reach the road beside the beach, then informed local authorities.

Shortly before midnight, we were informed that German Frontex officers had arrived. During the night, the group was transported to the Closed Controlled Access Centre in Vial.

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Before first light on Friday, a second group reported to be 34 people contacted us after arriving at Agia Eleni Military Beach, on southeastern Chios.

They had split into at least three groups and were scattered across the surrounding hills. Through continued contact, we persuaded them to gather at the Holy Monastery of Saints Constantine and Helen.

Local authorities were informed. At 08.00, we received confirmation that everyone had reached the monastery and police and Frontex officers had arrived.

The entire group was transported to the Closed Controlled Access Centre in Vial that morning.

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At 06.30 on Friday, a third group contacted us from Farmakonisi.

They reported that 35 people had arrived, but armed men had captured 25 of them. The remaining ten had fled and were hiding in bushes in the dark. They told us they were afraid.

At 08.40, those still in contact informed us that military personnel had arrived. Contact was lost shortly afterwards.

People arriving on Farmakonisi would normally be transferred to the Closed Controlled Access Centre on Leros. So far, we have been unable to confirm that anyone from this group has arrived there.

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Aegean Boat Report is an independent organisation documenting arrivals, disappearances and illegal pushbacks in the Aegean. Our work depends entirely on donations.

Please support our work:
https://t.co/o3tYlVqZVo

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

TWO ARRIVALS ON LESVOS — 60 PEOPLE REPORTED

Yesterday morning, Aegean Boat Report was contacted by a group reported to be 48 people who had arrived before first light on Agios Isidoros Beach, on the southern coast of Lesvos.

The group began walking north along the road but, after a short distance, took shelter under a small bridge. They were later spotted by local residents, who informed the police.

Some people had remained closer to the arrival location rather than continuing with the larger group. According to the information we have received, all members of the group were eventually located and transported to the Closed Controlled Access Centre in Mavrovouni.

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At first light this morning, another group, reported to be 12 people, contacted Aegean Boat Report after arriving west of Vatera Beach, on the southwestern coast of Lesvos.

The group began walking north and eventually reached a dirt road, which they followed further north.

After walking for hours, they reached an intersection and turned south towards the village of Vrisa.

On the outskirts of Vrisa, the group was located by Hungarian Frontex officers, who had previously been informed of their presence in the area.

They were eventually transported to the Closed Controlled Access Centre in Mavrovouni.

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Aegean Boat Report is an independent organisation documenting arrivals, disappearances and illegal pushbacks in the Aegean. Our work depends entirely on donations.

If you would like to support our work, you can donate here:

https://t.co/o3tYlVqZVo

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

ARRIVALS ON PSARA AND SAMOS — BOAT IN DISTRESS NEAR FARMAKONISI

This morning (12.10.2026) at 07.30, a group reported to be 30 people—22 men, 4 women and 4 children—contacted Aegean Boat Report for assistance after arriving on the northern shore of Psara.

Twenty people began the difficult climb towards higher ground before moving inland through extremely challenging terrain. Ten people—2 men, 4 women and 4 children—remained behind, unable to climb the steep cliffs.

Local authorities were alerted. At 10.00, a Greek Coast Guard vessel arrived and found a suitable spot to take the stranded group on board.

The larger group was later found walking along a dirt road heading south.

Unfortunately, we lost all contact with the group 15 minutes after the Coast Guard arrived. We have been unable to confirm how many people were located. We hope everyone has been accounted for and brought to Psara, the island’s only village, for onward transfer by boat to the Vial camp on Chios.

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Yesterday (11.10.2026) morning at 06.00, a group reported to be 25 people—19 men, 5 women and 1 child—contacted Aegean Boat Report after arriving on Avlaki Beach on the northern coast of Samos.

After arrival, 21 people quickly moved into the surrounding hills, while 4 people—3 men and a woman—remained behind.

After first light, the larger group split into several smaller groups, most heading towards the village of Kampos. Authorities located them over several hours.

The four people who had stayed behind, hiding in the woods, were not located until late afternoon.

As far as we know, all 25 people were eventually located and transported to the Closed Controlled Access Centre in Zervou.

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At 06.30 yesterday, we were also alerted to a boat carrying 21 people in distress inside Turkish waters, southeast of the Greek island of Farmakonisi.

The boat was drifting after its engine reportedly stopped working. The Turkish Coast Guard was alerted.

At 09.10, the Turkish Coast Guard located the drifting boat, and all 21 people were taken back to Turkey.

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Aegean Boat Report is an independent organisation documenting arrivals, disappearances and illegal pushbacks in the Aegean. Our work depends entirely on donations.

If you would like to support our work, you can donate here:

https://t.co/o3tYlVrxKW

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

AEGEAN BOAT REPORT – MONTHLY UPDATE (SEPTEMBER 2026)

In September, arrivals to the Greek Aegean islands decreased compared to August, while interceptions at sea and illegal pushbacks continued.

A total of 770 people arrived aboard 34 boats, while the Turkish Coast Guard intercepted or recovered 63 boats carrying 1,381 people. Some were stopped before reaching Greece, others were recovered following pushbacks from Greek territory.

Compared to August:

📉 Arrivals decreased by 35.3%
📉 Arriving boats decreased by 20.9%
📈 Mainland transfers increased by 228.5% (1,731 people)

Demographics: Men 46%, Women 23%, Children 31%

ARRIVALS BY ISLAND

• Lesvos: 5 boats — 127 people
• Samos: 12 boats — 263 people
• Chios: 3 boats — 73 people
• Kos: 0 boats — 0 people
• Leros: 1 boat — 6 people
• Other islands: 13 boats — 301 people

PUSHBACKS

In September, Aegean Boat Report documented 9 illegal pushbacks involving 212 men, women and children.

In one case, 27 people were forced into a life raft and abandoned at sea by the Hellenic Coast Guard.

The continued use of life-saving equipment for illegal deportations demonstrates that this dangerous practice remains part of Greece’s border operations.

So far in 2026, ABR has documented 57 pushbacks involving 1,563 people.

Since March 2020, we have documented more than 3,600 illegal pushbacks involving over 99,500 men, women and children attempting to seek safety in Europe.

POPULATION ON THE ISLANDS

By the end of September, 6,287 people remained on the Greek islands, an increase of 15.3% compared to September 2025.

Official capacity: 14,843
Population below capacity: 8,556

• Lesvos: 1,168
• Samos: 1,419
• Chios: 459
• Kos: 1,454
• Leros: 1,781
• Other islands: 6

In the last 12 months, 3,363 people have been pushed back by Greek authorities.

Arrivals so far in 2026 remain 60.9% lower than during the same period in 2025. The increase in island populations is largely due to transfers from Crete, not increased arrivals from Türkiye.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Behind every statistic is a person attempting to reach safety.

When people are stopped at sea, denied access to asylum procedures or forcibly returned without due process, fundamental rights are being violated.

These are not isolated incidents. They form a consistent pattern across the Aegean.

Without independent monitoring, there is no transparency. Without transparency, there is no accountability.

Aegean Boat Report continues to monitor the Aegean around the clock, documenting arrivals, disappearances and human rights violations.

Our independent work depends entirely on donations.

Support our work:

https://t.co/J0kiOx77jR

Thank you for your continued support and solidarity ❤️

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

NEW ARRIVALS ON LIMNOS – CONTACT LOST WITH 43 PEOPLE, INCLUDING 16 CHILDREN

At noon today, a group of 43 people, 27 adults and 16 children, contacted Aegean Boat Report requesting assistance after arriving southeast of Plaka, on the northeastern coast of Limnos.

After arriving, the group started walking west along a dirt track, hoping to find assistance. With many small children among them, their progress was slow.

At approximately 15:00, two men in civilian clothes approached the group and instructed them to follow them.

After some time, the men told the group that they were working for the police. Several people were sceptical, as neither man was wearing a uniform or had provided any identification confirming that they were police officers.

At 15:20, two vehicles arrived. The group was not permitted to enter the vehicles, not even the small children. Instead, everyone was instructed to continue walking and follow the cars on foot.

Several people began asking questions, particularly about where they were being taken.

According to people in the group, one of the men responded:

“Don’t ask questions, just follow us.”

At 15:31, Aegean Boat Report lost all direct contact with the group.

We were still able to monitor their movements for a short period through a shared live location, which showed them slowly continuing west. Shortly afterwards, the live location connection also disappeared.

Since then, we have received no further information about the whereabouts or safety of these 43 people, including 16 children.

We have attempted to obtain confirmation from local authorities about whether the group has been located and taken into their custody.

Unfortunately, our attempts to obtain information have been unsuccessful. Local authorities have provided no confirmation, and their willingness to cooperate or answer our questions has been nonexistent.

We sincerely hope that the men who approached the group were indeed police officers, and that everyone has been safely transferred to the port town of Myrina, awaiting onward transportation to Lesvos.

However, hope is not confirmation.

At the time of publication, we have no verified information about where these 43 people are, who took responsibility for them, or whether they are safe.

The fact that a group containing 16 children can disappear from contact after being instructed to follow unidentified men claiming to work for the police raises serious concerns.

We are not claiming that a pushback has taken place. We are stating that contact has been lost under circumstances that require clarification.

The Greek authorities must confirm whether these people are in their custody, where they have been taken, and whether all 43 are safe.

Aegean Boat Report will continue attempting to establish their whereabouts and will publish updates when reliable information becomes available.

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Aegean Boat Report is an independent organisation documenting arrivals, disappearances and illegal pushbacks in the Aegean. Our work depends entirely on donations.

If you would like to support our work, you can donate here:

https://t.co/o3tYlVrxKW

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

📌 The criminal case against my client Tommy Olsen is not an isolated one. It follows the prosecution of the ERCI volunteers, including Sara Mardini, Sean Binder and A. Karakitsos, which ended in their acquittal, as well as that of the 24 defendants, and also the case of Mare Liberum and other solidarity activists, where the charges were ultimately archived due to lack of evidence.

📌 Tommy Olsen, a Norwegian human rights defender and founder of Aegean Boat Report, is accused of participation in a criminal organisation and facilitating illegal entry and stay, in a case connected with informing the authorities about people seeking asylum. The paradox of the charges is striking, since the rights to asylum and freedom of association are expressly guaranteed under Article 18 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

📌 The Norwegian Court of Appeal, in an emblematic decision, blocked his extradition to Greece, finding that the acts described in the request do not constitute criminal offences in Norway and that there was a real risk to his freedom of expression.

📌 Many organisations have intervened in the case, including the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Front Line Defenders. Media including Al Jazeera, The Guardian and The Observer have covered it, while dozens of organisations in Greece have publicly expressed their opposition to the prosecution.

📌 The country's international image is not harmed in the abstract. It is burdened by specific choices and actions of the authorities, but also by public political statements that linked Aegean Boat Report with smugglers. His trial before the Three-Member Court of Appeal for Felonies of the Dodecanese was ultimately postponed until 6 April 2027, while the arrest warrant against him and the possibility of his extradition remain in force. The postponement undeniably prolongs the judicial harassment and reinforces the justified international criticism of Greece.

[Zac Kesses @ZacKesses]

📌 Η ποινική υπόθεση κατά του εντολέα μου Tommy Olsen δεν είναι μεμονωμένη. Έρχεται σε συνέχεια της δίωξης των εθελοντών της ERCI, μεταξύ των οποίων οι Sara Mardini, Sean Binder και Α. Καρακίτσος, που κατέληξε στην αθώωση και των 24 κατηγορουμένων αλλά και της υπόθεσης της Mare Liberum και άλλων οργανώσεων, όπου οι κατηγορίες τελικά τέθηκαν στο αρχείο λόγω έλλειψης στοιχείων.

📌 Ο Tommy Olsen, Νορβηγός υπερασπιστής ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων και ιδρυτής της Aegean Boat Report, κατηγορείται για συμμετοχή σε εγκληματική οργάνωση και διευκόλυνση παράνομης εισόδου και διαμονής, σε υπόθεση που συνδέεται με την ενημέρωση των αρχών για ανθρώπους που ζητούσαν άσυλο. Η παραδοξότητα των κατηγοριών είναι προφανής, καθώς το δικαίωμα στο άσυλο κατοχυρώνεται ρητά στο άρθρο 18 του Χάρτη Θεμελιωδών Δικαιωμάτων της ΕΕ.

📌 Το Νορβηγικό Εφετείο με μια εμβληματική απόφαση μπλόκαρε την έκδοσή του στην Ελλάδα, κρίνοντας ότι οι πράξεις που περιγράφονταν στο αίτημα δεν συνιστούν αδικήματα στη Νορβηγία και ότι υπήρχε πραγματικός κίνδυνος για την ελευθερία έκφρασής του.

📌 Για την υπόθεση έχουν παρέμβει πολλοί οργανισμοί μεταξύ των οποίων η Ειδική Εισηγήτρια του ΟΗΕ για τους υπερασπιστές ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων, η Amnesty International, η Human Rights Watch και η Front Line Defenders. Έχει καλυφθεί από μέσα όπως το Al Jazeera, Guardian και το EUobserver, ενώ δεκάδες οργανώσεις στην Ελλάδα έχουν εκφράσει δημόσια την αντίθεσή τους στη δίωξη.

📌 Η διεθνής εικόνα της χώρας δεν ζημιώνεται αφηρημένα. Επιβαρύνεται από συγκεκριμένες πράξεις και παραλείψεις αλλά και από δημόσιες πολιτικές τοποθετήσεις που συνέδεσαν την Aegean Boat Report με διακινητές. Η δίκη του στο Τριμελές Εφετείο Κακουργημάτων Δωδεκανήσου αναβλήθηκε τελικά για τις 6 Απριλίου 2027, ενώ παραμένει άλυτο το ζήτημα της μη μετάφρασης του κλητηρίου θεσπίσματος. Η αναβολή αναμφισβήτητα παρατείνει τη δικαστική παρενόχληση και ενισχύει τη δικαιολογημένη διεθνή κριτική για την Ελλάδα.

https://t.co/NHP0Ugwq4s

https://t.co/5hYmF3BeXD

https://t.co/TJQqbM5VSu

https://t.co/IxlfrkEYT0

https://t.co/UB0xOSKNK5

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

AEGEAN BOAT REPORT

WEEKLY UPDATE – WEEK 40 (SEPTEMBER 28 – OCTOBER 4)

This week, 25 boats carrying 665 people attempted to reach the Greek Aegean Islands.

* 🚫 14 boats were stopped/pushed back — 278 people intercepted
* ✅ 11 boats arrived — 387 people were officially registered on the islands

⸻

Of all boats that attempted the journey:

✅ 44% reached Greece
🚫 56% were intercepted by the Turkish Coast Guard or police

⸻

📈 Arrivals increased by 140.4% compared to last week.
➡️ The number of registered boats arriving on the islands increased from 8 last week to 11 this week.
➡️ The total number of boats departing towards the Greek islands remained unchanged at 25.

📉 Transfers to the mainland decreased by 8.6%, with 425 people relocated.

👥 Official island population: 6,320

⸻

So far this year:

* 🚫 487 boats carrying 11,292 people have been intercepted by the Turkish Coast Guard or police.
* ✅ 251 boats carrying 6,922 people have reached the Greek Aegean Islands.

These numbers should have been significantly higher were it not for pushbacks carried out by the Hellenic Coast Guard.

Transfers to the mainland remain essential to reduce pressure on reception facilities. Transfers decreased this week, while the official island population rose by 350 people compared to last week. Over the last 30 days, the population on the islands has risen by 1,039 people. This increase is mainly due to more people arriving on the islands than being transferred to the mainland over that period. If arrivals remain high or transfers decrease, the island population is likely to increase further.

⸻

Despite increasing pressure on our organisation and the continued criminalisation of humanitarian work, Aegean Boat Report continues to monitor the Aegean around the clock, documenting arrivals and human rights violations, and ensuring that people in distress are not left without a voice.

If you want to support our work, please consider making a donation:

https://t.co/o3tYlVrxKW

Every contribution helps us continue monitoring the Aegean 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

TODAY’S TRIAL HAS BEEN ADJOURNED UNTIL 6 APRIL 2027

Today, I was represented before the court on Rhodes by my Greek lawyer, Zacharias Kesses.

I could not attend in person because I remain subject to an arrest warrant.

My lawyer submitted a motion challenging the validity of the summons against me. Among the fundamental issues we face is that the summons was never provided to me in a language I understand.

The court did not rule on our motion today.

Instead, the proceedings were adjourned until 6 April 2027 because counsel for my co-defendant, Panagiotis Dimitras, was unable to attend.

This means another six months before the case returns to court.

After years of investigation, an arrest warrant, my arrest in Norway and the enormous legal and financial burden this case has already created, another delay is not insignificant.

Delays in the administration of justice are a persistent problem. Regrettably, on this occasion, the delay was also compounded by my co-defendant’s side, which has contributed to the further judicial harassment I am facing.

I deny the charges against me.

Aegean Boat Report will continue its work.

Tommy Olsen
Founder, Aegean Boat Report

To support my legal defence:

https://t.co/jyL5oxNQa0

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

Aegean Boat Report founder Tommy Olsen insists he is defending the rule of law, as Greece opens trial against him.

To Greek authorities, he is the nefarious Norwegian mastermind of an international criminal organisation “operationally structured to commit repeated crimes”, which he secretly controls from his hometown of Tromso, north of the Arctic Circle.

To thousands of distressed asylum seekers on the Aegean, he is a hero who may have saved their lives by publicly alerting search and rescue authorities who might rather not have known of their whereabouts.

A Greek court will open trial proceedings on Tuesday against Tommy Olsen to decide who is right.

https://t.co/6ibXvtIAiP

[Aegean Boat Report @ABoatReport]

TODAY GREECE PUTS ME ON TRIAL.

Today, the criminal case against me is due before a court on Rhodes.

I deny the charges.

For almost nine years, my work with Aegean Boat Report has been to document what happens at Europe’s borders — arrivals, people in distress, disappearances, pushbacks and human-rights violations.

In March, I was arrested at my home in Norway under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Greece.

Greece asked Norway to surrender me.

Norway refused.

But the prosecution continued.

Today, that case reaches a courtroom on Rhodes.

I will be in Norway. My Greek lawyer will be in court representing me.

I will not speculate about what happens in the courtroom today. I will speak about developments only when the facts have been confirmed by my lawyer.

For almost nine years, I have documented what happens at Europe’s borders.

Today, Greece puts the witness on trial.

Whatever happens, Aegean Boat Report’s work continues.

Tommy Olsen
Founder, Aegean Boat Report

Defending myself in Greece costs money. If you want to help, you can support my legal defence here:

https://t.co/jyL5oxOnZy

[Balkan Insight @BalkanInsight]

Norwegian aid worker Tommy Olsen says his trial in Greece is about discouraging others from ever coming to the aid of refugees and migrants reaching Europe’s shores.

https://t.co/UAvzBBDkPa

[EUobserver @euobs]

‘They want to shut me up’: Norwegian activist fights 20‑year Greek prison threat over asylum aid https://t.co/yVU6An7w72