We demand Truth and Justice for the People Killed in Chios Boat Collision

On 3rd of February 2026, at least 15 people on the move died and 24 were hospitalized following a boat collision with a Greek Coast Guard Vessel in Chios. These deaths must not be framed as tragedies. They are the foreseeable result of violent migration policies and deterrence practices that deliberately expose people to lethal risk, denying the most fundamental right: the right to life. 

The Hellenic Coast Guard (HCG) is known for engaging in actions that endanger the lives of people on the move during maritime interception operations. This is amply documented through video footage and Serious Incident Reports from Frontex, the EU Border and Coast Guard Agency. 

Summary of the Events

Cameras inexplicably non-functional, echoing the Pylos shipwreck

One day after the deaths, the Kathimerini newspaper - known for its support to the Greek Government - claimed that the cameras had not been activated by the crew. It further claimed, citing sources within the Hellenic Coast Guard command, that even if the camera had been activated, it would not have recorded the incident because it is designed to capture images at long range rather than at close proximity. This was later repeated in the Parliament by Minister of Maritime Affairs, V. Kikilias.

Media reports indicated that the vessel commander claimed thermovision cameras were unnecessary because the boat had been detected by ground-based equipment in Lesvos, and later told the prosecutor that the cameras lacked a recording card, allegedly not provided by the Hellenic Coast Guard. While such claims require technical and judicial investigation, day and thermovision cameras installed in HCG boats normally have the capacity to record and store footage, as evidenced by technical specifications in procurement documents.  

The deactivation of the cameras is reminiscent of the Pylos incident where the Hellenic Coast Guard gave contradictory explanations as to why the cameras were not operational. Further, Frontex has observed a persistent practice of cameras not being used to record incidents. Such patterns at EU external borders are evidenced in the European Ombudsperson's inquiry that looks into the Pylos (Greece) and Crotone (Italy) shipwrecks. Cameras in co-financed assets by  Frontex are part of the implementation plan to address compliance with fundamental rights agreed between Frontex and the Greek authorities in 2022. Yet this is not the first time they become non-functional when needed.

Arrest of a survivor 

Greek authorities immediately designated smugglers as responsible for the collision while defending the HCG. They arrested and charged a Moroccan survivor as the ‘smuggler’, despite him denying all charges and stating that he was himself a passenger who had paid for the journey. During the interrogation phase survivor's testimonies, which were taken into account to justify the pre-trial detention order for the suspect, were  contradictory and did not clearly establish that the accused was driving the boat at the time of the collision. One of the witnesses who recognised the alleged suspect as the driver during the pre-interrogation phase, retracted her statement, explaining that at the time of the preliminary questioning she was in a poor psychological and physical state and could not recall accurately. 

Nonetheless, the survivor was placed in pre-trial detention on charges of : migrant smuggling which led to deaths, causing a deadly shipwreck, disrupting the safety of transportation and irregular entry into Greece. This case reflects a recurring practice in Greece whereby survivors of shipwrecks are arbitrarily arrested and criminalised as smugglers on the basis of weak or inconsistent evidence.

Intimidation addressed to NGOs and civil society

In a public statement, the Minister of Health accused NGO representatives of entering a hospital without authorisation, falsely claiming coordination with hospital management. He accused them of “guiding” the survivors of the shipwreck to shape the narrative around asylum claims or complaints against the Hellenic Coast Guard. The Minister framed the incident as a matter of national security, asserting that the NGO members be reported to the intelligence services (EYP), stating that “foreign interests” must not be allowed to undermine public order or border control. Minister of Migration, Thanos Plevris, reiterated hostile rhetoric against civil society aligned with recent legislative developments in Greece that expand the scope and penalties of ‘migrant smuggling’, explicitly exposing the work of NGOs to possible criminal liability. He further declared that ‘we should get over the fairytale of humanitarianism and volunteerism’. These allegations form part of a broader harmful pattern in Greece in which NGOs are publicly discredited. 

Intimidation incidents extended beyond NGOs. Government spokesperson V. Marinakis threatened a journalist who asked if the Chios collision was the result of a deterrence operation with ‘suffer[ing] the consequences of the law, claiming that ‘falsification of facts’ is a ‘criminal’ offense. Seeing that the Greek border context is infamous for its pushbacks and lack of proper monitoring efforts or accountability mechanisms, such attacks deter independent monitoring and undermine survivors’ testimonies while further shrinking civic space.

Given the circumstances we demand: 

• Immediate independent investigation on the causes of the collision, the reasons the cameras were non-functional, and the chain of command responsible 

• Release of the survivor in pre-trial detention and dropping of all charges against him

• Ensure that NGOs, humanitarian workers and journalists can operate without intimidation and harassment

• An independent border monitoring mechanism encompassing all actions of border management authorities and with the power of triggering investigations

The deaths of the 3rd of  February 2026 are not isolated accidents; they are the outcome of policies that treat people on the move as threats rather than human beings entitled to life and safety.

We need truth and justice for the victims, their families and all of us as a community who refuse to normalise the deadly border regime and the impunity of perpetrators.