The European Commission has formally requested that Greece launch an investigation into a New York Times report which appeared last month, exposing footage which appeared to reveal Greece’s Coast Guard abandoning migrants in the Aegean Sea.
A senior official, Ylva Johansson, who is the European Commissioner for Migration, confirmed that a “formal request” had been made to Greek authorities to fully and independently investigate the incident, adding that the EC “stands ready to take formal steps, as appropriate.”
The report by the New York Times indicated that several violations of Greek, European Union (EU) and international law had taken place, although Greek authorities have refused to comment on the video. The EU partly funded the coast guard vessel shown in the footage so further investigations by EU authorities may also be forthcoming.
The New York Times used a variety of tools to verify the footage and track down the migrants who were allegedly abandoned. It interviewed them at a Turkish detention facility close to the coast last month.
