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Two immigrants (a man and a woman) lost their lives, and 15 were rescued as the boat they were on sank on Friday morning, around 11 miles away from Karlovasi of Samos, in Greek territorial waters.

At first, a sailboat discovered two immigrants in the sea and saved them. Then it informed the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre and immediately began searching for other illegal immigrants.

Three coast guard boats arrived in the region, together with a Super Puma helicopter and a Coast Guard helicopter, a rescue ship and a naval vessel. The Coast Guard rescued another 13 people, 7 of whom were taken to the harbour of Chios Island and the rest - to Karlovasi, where the bodies of two drowned people were transported.

One of the rescued immigrants was rushed to the hospital of Chios, and a child was admitted to the Samos hospital in critical condition.

According to the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Ankara, two immigrants were taken by vessels of the Turkish Coast Guard 6 miles north of the place where the boat sank, in international waters. They were taken to the Turkish harbour to be hospitalised.

In the press release issued by the Coast Guard, it is announced that according to the information provided by the people rescued first, their boat sank due to unclear reasons, on Friday morning, in the area between the islands of Ikaria and Samos.

According to the information available, the rescued people claimed that the boat had sailed from the Turkish coast with 37 passengers aboard. Nobody was aware what had happened and how the boat had sunk with all the passengers falling into the sea.

The wind force in the area is 4-5 Beaufort.

By order of the Chief of the Coast Guard, an inspector was sent to Samos to coordinate the services in order to deal with the situation more effectively. A prosecutor arrived too and an investigation is underway.

It should also be noted that on Friday morning the Coast Guard rescued 47 illegal immigrants in the area southeast of Chios, near Farmakonisi.

Varvitsiotis' Statement

The Minister of Marine and Aegean Miltiadis Varvitsiotis made a statement about the tragic event, implying the fears of Greece in regard to increased immigration flows. The minister also thanked the Coast Guard for their efforts to save human lives.

Varvitsiotis regretted the loss of human lives. He also said: "Despite the fact that every day the men and women working as part of the Coast Guard make superhuman efforts to save human lives and to guard the maritime borders of the country, the increase in illegal immigration is dramatic."

According to the minister, the continuous cases of saving illegal immigrants at sea and the loss of human lives confirm the fears expressed by the Ministry of Marine and Aegean that there will be an increase in illegal immigration, which requires immediate reconsideration of Europe's immigration policy. As a President of the Union, Greece has taken certain initiatives regarding this issue so that the EU can handle the problem of illegal immigration at its root and so that all partners are able to participate in its solution equally.

A Visit of the Minister to the Islands of Symi and Tilos

Miltiadis Varvitsiotis visited the islands of Symi and Tilos, as the main issue raised during his visit is the illegal entry of immigrants into the country.