A rubber dinghy carrying 43 people, including over a dozen children, ran out of engine power near Samos in May 2025. Wha...

A rubber dinghy carrying 43 people, including over a dozen children, ran out of engine power near Samos in May 2025. What happened next was captured in an official Frontex report obtained by Le Monde through a freedom of information request. According to the Serious Incident Report compiled by Frontex's Fundamental Rights Office, Greek Coast Guard officers in black balaclavas boarded the vessel and transported the group at sea for two hours rather than bringing them to shore. At the end of that trip, officers reportedly threw the migrants into inflatable life rafts from several metres in the air, after confiscating their belongings. One message quoted in the report read, "Masked men boat is here now, they are here to help." Another migrant replied, "It's not help." The Fundamental Rights Office, the EU border agency's internal watchdog, documented the incident in a report published in March 2026. Le Monde's investigation found that the FRO has issued multiple warnings to Frontex leadership about rights violations in Greece, and that those warnings have so far produced no meaningful change in operations. Frontex continues to operate alongside the Hellenic Coast Guard in the Aegean despite the documented incidents. The agency has not suspended its mission in Greece, and no public disciplinary action has followed the March 2026 report. The case adds to a growing record of pushback allegations in Greek waters. EU member states are required under international law to register asylum claims and provide rescue to those in distress at sea. Critics are now pressing the European Commission to explain why Frontex continues to operate alongside a coast guard accused of systematic violations. #Frontex #GreeceImmigration #Aegean