A six-year-old child has drowned after a boat smuggling migrants capsized off the Greek island Samos, a Greek Coastguard spokesperson said in Athens on Monday.

Two coastguard vessels rescued another 17 people from the boat, while seven others managed to reach shore on their own.

The accident happened on Sunday after the migrants had set off from Turkey.

According to data by the UN migration agency UNHCR, 9,247 people reached Greek islands in the eastern Aegean between the start of 2020 and Nov. 1, compared with more than 52,000 in the corresponding period in 2019.

The dwindling inflow can be attributed to tougher border patrolling by Greece and the coronavirus pandemic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAN