Greece: Migrant boat sinks, leaving up to 50 people missing

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The Greek coastguard said that an air and sea rescue operation was launched on Wednesday after approximately 50 people went missing when a migrant boat capsized in the Aegean Sea.

The ship foundered near the islands of Karpathos and Rhodes at dawn on Wednesday, after setting sail from Antalya, Turkey, on its way to Italy.

"According to the statements of 29 rescued people, there were 80 people on the boat, so up to 50 people are missing," a coastguard press office official said as quoted by AFP.

The rescue effort was ordered by merchant shipping minister Yannis Plakiotakis and included four vessels already sailing in the southern Aegean, two coastguard patrol boats, and a Greek air force helicopter, as per a coastguard statement.

Strong winds of up to 50 kilometers per hour reportedly hampered the rescue operation, according to coastguard spokesperson Nikos Kokalas on Skai radio.

Although the boat appears to have been attempting to reach Italy, Greece is frequently the destination of choice for migrants fleeing Africa and the Middle East in search of a better life in the European Union.

Thousands of people travel to Greece via Turkey, through a narrow and perilous sea crossing that separates the traditional enemies.

The International Organization for Migration reported that 64 people have died in the eastern Mediterranean since January.

Eight people died off the Greek island of Mykonos on June 19 while 108 others were rescued, according to the UN migration agency.

The Greek coastguard reported on Sunday that 122 migrants were rescued near Rhodes after their vessel encountered difficulties after sailing from Turkey.

Athens claims that migrant arrivals have increased this year and accuses Ankara of not doing enough to prevent smugglers from transporting them across the border, often in flimsy boats for perilous journeys.

In exchange for financial assistance from the European Union, Turkey agreed in 2016 to reduce the number of migrants leaving its shores.

Charity organizations and the media have accused Athens of illegally turning back migrants, which Greece's conservative government has denied.