Migrant ship off Kalamata
A ship believed to be carrying about 500 illegal immigrants was steaming slowly in international waters off southern Greece late last night, watched closely by coast guard vessels and a navy torpedo boat to ensure that it would not enter Greek waters. A migrants support group appealed for the 80-meter, Syrian-flagged Wale to be allowed to enter a Greek port. The Refugees and Migrants Support Network said that the government must behave in a humanitarian way and express solidarity with the refugees. Coast guard authorities got wind of the ship in international waters near Kalamata late on Tuesday. They believe it had set sail from Turkey for Italy but its crew might have changed its mind and decided to head for the Peloponnese. The coast guard and navy moved in to prevent this. Earlier this month, Greek authorities towed into Zakynthos port a stricken ship carrying 714 migrants. This is a hobby that doesn’t exist in Greece… I am confident that the judges and prosecutors will keep that in mind, he said.
