12604
This document is part of the request ”SIRs since July 2019”.
Warsaw, 17/12/2020 FRONTEX Serious incident report no. 12604/2020 Report date and time (UTC) 2020-10-30 21:50 Reporting person Text removed (personal data) Last modification date and time (UTC) 2020-11-25 13:51 Last modification done by Text removed (personal data) SIR Status Ongoing 4 - Situations of alleged violations of Fundamental Rights or FSC SIR Category international protection obligations Type of SIR 1 Initial SIR Observations regarding migrants who already had crossed the Subject border to Hellenic territory in rubberboat Joint operation Poseidon 2020 JORA incident number 0 Text removed (personal data) - Commanding Officer text Original source of information removed (technical equipment) Frontex SIR Coordinator HoO.FRO Frontex resources involved No Incident dates (UTC) 2020-10-30 21:34 Detection date (UTC) 2020-10-30 21:34 Location of the incident Latitude Text removed (reference to operational area) Longitude Text removed (reference to operational area) Reference to the operational area Yes Type of resources / involvement Text removed (technical equipment) Dead persons 0 Injured persons 0 Missing persons 0 Details We started our patrol at Chios Port at 04.50 and went out to the southern part of our OA. When we reached 1 NM distance from Fact of the case the border, we observed an echo on the radarscreen. It was close to us, coming from the E on its way to the W (towards Chios
Port). It was dark outside, we could see it only on the radarscreen. The echo was moving fast, and when it was very close in front of us, we put the searchlight on it and realized that it was an inflatable rubber boat powered by an outboard engine, carrying migrants. They were told to stop, but they proceeded further towards the port. It took several minutes till the boat stopped, and then our position was approximately 1,5 nautical miles from the Turkish borderline. The estimated number of migrants was at least 20 (men, women, children). The boat was all black and had no light on; it was fully afloat and manouverable, they were not in distress. At this moment our LO had called the HCG and confirmed that they were on their way out. We were ordered to keep the blulights on. Soon I saw a vessel coming from Chios Port heading straight towards us. It was the HCG. When they arrived at the scene, we were told that they handled the situation from now on and needed no further help. We were ordered to continue our patrol direction N, which we did. Before we left the scene, I saw one crewmember standing on foredeck on HCG vessel handling ropes/moring lines, and another crewmember stood on the aft deck on HCG vessel also handling ropes/moring lines. What they used it for, I did not see. On the radarscreen we could follow the echo from the HCG Vessel, slowly moving towards the TUR borderline and not the other direction (to port). Therefore we followed the radarecho from their vessel. There is no possibility that it was any other vessel we followed on the radarscreen. The echo stopped moving at the borderline. No SAR-operation was initiated as we know. Confirmed that no migrant/rubberboat with migrants has arrived to Chios during the day of October 30th 2020, as we know. On the 25.11.2020 Hellenic Coast Guard has sent an email in Measures response to the FRO. As the text is rather long and it doesn't fit in the field, please refer to the attached email. Assessment n/a Final outcome n/a Documents
Serious incident document No. 1 Title EXTERNAL SIR – Text removed (personal data) Commanding Officer SWE Text removed (technical equipment) .msg Name EXTERNAL SIR – Text removed (personal data) Commanding Officer SWE Text removed (technical equipment) .msg Date 2020-10-30 Serious incident document No. 2 Title 12604 2020 JO Poseidon 2020 - Serious Incident Report – Possible violation of Fundamental Rights or international protection obligations .msg Name 12604 2020 JO Poseidon 2020 - Serious Incident Report – Possible violation of Fundamental Rights or international protection obligations .msg Date 2020-10-30 Serious incident document No. 3 Title 20201125 Hellenic Coast Guard response to FRO SIR 12604 2020 Chios.msg Name 20201125 Hellenic Coast Guard response to FRO SIR 12604 2020 Chios.msg Date 2020-11-25
Subject: FW: 12604/2020 JO Poseidon 2020 - Serious Incident Report – Possible violation of Fundamental Rights or international protection obligations From: text removed (reporting tool) Sent: Friday 30 October 2020 23:03 To: text removed (reporting tool) Cc: text removed (reporting tool) Subject: 12604/2020 JO Poseidon 2020 - Serious Incident Report – Possible violation of Fundamental Rights or international protection obligations 12604/2020 JO Poseidon 2020 - Serious Incident Report – Observations regarding migrants who already had crossed the border to Hellenic territory in a rubber boat. Possible violation of Fundamental Rights or international protection obligations The Commander (CO), of the text removed (technical equipment), has informed on the following: On the 30.10.2020 04:50LT, the SWE CPB started its patrol from Chios Port, towards the border at the Southern part of their operational area When reaching the mark of 1nm from the border line, the crew observed an echo in the radar. The radar echo indicated that the target was coming from east towards West (Chios Port) They intercepted the vessel and found out that it was an inflatable black rubber boat, with an outboard engine, transporting around 20 migrants The rubber boat stopped when it was 1.5 NM from the border line The rubber boat was fully operational and the assessment was that they weren’t in distress The Greek Liaison on board contacted the Hellenic Coast Guard, which dispatched a patrol boat to the scene The SWE crew was informed by the Hellenic authorities that they were excused from the scene, once the HCG was taking over the situation Nevertheless, the SWE crew continued to monitor the situation and they saw the echo of the HCG patrol boat moving towards the border line, where it stopped moving. No SAR operation was initiated and no migrants’ boat arrived to Chios today (30.10.2020). DORD is assigned to coordinate it from the operational perspective; in parallel, FRO is assigned to coordinate it from the perspective of fundamental rights. Please, find attached the SWE Commander’s report. Kind regards, Senior Duty Officer 24/7 service Monitoring Hub – Frontex Situation Centre Situational Awareness and Monitoring Division Text removed (reporting tool) 1
Text removed (reporting tool) To unsubscribe from this email, please contact text removed (reporting tool) 2
~ _.._ FRONTEX Serious Incident Report * Subject Observations regarding migrants who already had crossed the border to Hellenic territory in rubberboat. Joint Operation Poseidon JORA incident no. (if any) * Reporting unit/person Text Removed – Technical Equipment / Text Removed – Personal Data Category Fundamental Rights FSC part Date of 30/10/2020 reporting SIR coordinator Log-No * Incident date/time 30/10/2020 05:13 * Detection date/time 30/10/2020 05:13 Original source of Crew on Text Removed – Technical Equipment when patrolling and information having the incident * Location of the incident Outside of/east of Chios Port, Chios, appr 1,5 nautical miles from the Turkish borderline Latitude / Longitude Text Removed – Reference to Opeational Area Reference to the operational area x □ Inside □ Outside * Involved Frontex □ Yes resources Type of resources/action performed (Human resources/co- financed technical X □ No equipment) Applicable only if SIR related to SAR operation I SAR activated date/time SAR activated by Type I Boat in distress I
Flag, Name, IMO I Detected by Is Frontex asset Text Removed – Technical □ Yes Equipment □ No Intercepted by Handed over to Hellenic coast Is Frontex asset guard □ Yes □ No People on board I Estimated Dead person I Missing person I Injured person I Planned port of disembarkation Departure country Choose an item. Involved authorities 1. Facts of the case We started our patrol at Chios Port at 04.50, went out towards the border at the southern part of our operational area. Just when we reached the mark of 1 nautical mile distance from the border, we observed an echo on the radarscreen. It was close to us, coming from the east on it`s way to the west (towards Chios Port). It was dark outside, we could not see it outside, only on the radarscreen. The echo was moving fast, and when it was very close in front of us, we put the searchlight on it and realized that it was an inflatable rubber boat powered by an outboard engine, carrying migrants. They were told to stop, but they proceeded further towards the port. It took several minutes till the boat stopped, and then our position was approximately 1,5 nautical miles from the Turkish borderline. We could estimate the numbers of migrants to at least 20, men, women and children. The boat was all black and had no light on. Some of the migrants waved at us and shouted “my brother, my brother”. The boat were fully afloat and manouverable, and I made the assessment that they were not in distress. At this moment our liaison officer (LO) had called the Hellenic Coastguard, and confirmed that they were on their way out. We were ordered to keep the blulights on so they could find us easyli. Soon I saw a vessel coming from Chios Port heading straight towards us. It was the Hellenic Coastguard`s vessel. When they arrived at the scene, we were told that they handled the situation from now on and needed no further help. We were ordered to continue our patrol direction north, which we did. Before we left the scene, I saw one crewmember standing on foredeck on HCG vessel handling ropes/moring lines, and another crewmember stood on the aft deck on HCG vessel also handling ropes/moring lines. What they used it for, I did not see. On the radarscreen we could follow the echo from the Hellenic Coastguard Vessel, slowly moving towards the Turkish borderline and not the other direction (to port). Therefore we followed the radarecho from their vessel. There is no possibility that it was any other vessel we followed on the radarscreen. The echo stopped moving at the borderline. No SAR-operation was initiated as we know. Confirmed that no migrant/rubberboat with migrants has arrived to Chios during the day of October 30th 2020, as we know. 2/3
2. Measures 3. Assessment 3/3
