The search for 11 immigrants from Bangladesh who jumped into the sea for fear that the Greek Coast guard will force them to return to their homeland has no result yet. Each hour there is less hope that they could be found alive.
The immigrants were evacuated from Libya along with a number of other foreign nationals. On Sunday morning, 49 citizens of Bangladesh for fear of extradition decided to swim the distance of one nautical mile to the shore shortly before the Cyprus ship Ionian King to enter the port of Souda in Crete.
Two patrols, three vessels of the Coast Guard and two tugboats of the fleet are involved in the search for the 11 immigrants. Super Puma helicopter joined them at noon.
According to the director of the Coast Guard in Hania Antonis Daskalakis, bad weather hampers the searching on land, because if some of the fugitives were able to get out of the sea they might not be able to move because of heavy rain.
By morning the Greek port authorities discovered three dead and rescued 35 people, most of whom have managed to reach the shore opposite the port of Souda. Immigrants were sent to hospitals on the island of Crete, many of them suffering of hypothermia and dehydration. 16 immigrants stayed for treatment and the condition of four of them is quite serious. The rest were returned to the ship, where they remained strictly guarded. Several hours later they were taken to the airport and sent back to Bangladesh.
According to some reports, after their arrival in Souda, the citizens of the South Asian country were to be taken by bus to the airport to return home. The same sources claim that immigrants were determined to do anything but not to return to Bangladesh. The cost of their hotel stay was not paid by the embassy of the country, but by the Korean company Daewoo in which they worked in Libya. So, it was decided to keep them on board.
According to the governor of Crete Athanasios Karоundzos, the immigrants were probably advised by their compatriots who live and work in Hania to swim the distance to the island and to stay in Crete.
The director of the Coast Guard in Hania described how the citizens of Bangladesh have left the ship. Some of them have used one of the ropes. This assessment is supported by the fact that doctors found abrasions on the palms of some immigrants, and divers found the rope on the seabed near the ship. Antonis Daskalakis said that immigrants questioning did not show they were helped by the ship's crew members.
Another ship with immigrants is expected to arrive late this evening. The Coast Guard in Souda will take additional measures for that purpose. Another two aircrafts are expected to arrive early on Tuesday to transport the immigrants who are still in the ship Ionian King to their home countries.
A few days ago about 15 immigrants from Sri Lanka who were in Crete after their evacuation from Libya left the hotel and nobody knows where they are since then. It is assumed that in this case too immigrants feared that Greek authorities would extradite them.
Meanwhile, 100 or one third of the immigrants on strike in Athens and Thessaloniki have been hospitalized after 42 days of starving. According to doctors who examine the condition of the strikers most of them had symptoms of dehydration and muscle convulsions, and some are one step away from renal failure.
At the same time, many of their comrades who still have not been hospitalized, suffer from hypothermia and their body temperature dropped to 34-35 degrees. Their condition could worsen any time as the sick immigrants many of whom are housed in tents will be sharply affected by the cold that gradually gripped all of Greece.
The Ministry of Health and Social Solidarity appealed the immigrants to agree to be moved immediately to hospitals in connection with the worsening weather conditions. The Ministry believes that immigrants should be hospitalized immediately because all limits of tolerance and understanding of health problems caused by the 42 days long hunger strike have been used up.
The Ministry also addresses the activists who support the hunger strike with an appeal not to create barriers and do their utmost to persuade immigrants to agree to be taken to hospitals.
According to the Ministry, human life has no price, so it can not be subject to any arrangements or disputes when it is in such danger. The order was submitted to emergency teams for execution.
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