The Border guards on the MAI 1102 patrolling ship of the Coast Guard, during their FRONTEX mission within Joint Maritime Operation "EPN POSEIDON SEA", rescued 79 people, including 27 children in danger on a boat in the Aegean waters. People rescued, Syrian citizens, Iraqis, Iranians and Palestinians have been transported to the Port of Chios and handed over safely to the Greek authorities for further specific procedures.
22nd of February, 10.00 a.m., the MAI 1102 crew, during their maritime surveillance mission of the external borders of the European Union, within the Joint Operation "EPN POSEIDON SEA" coordinated by FRONTEX, noted in the Aegean Greek territorial waters, a pneumatic motor boat, overloaded with people.
Immediately, the Romanian border guards intervened, according to the legal procedures, to rescue people in distress. After assessing the situation on the spot (overcrowded craft and the risk of sinking, and the possibility for people to come into hypothermic shock), the border guards have transshipped 79 people aboard the Coast Guard Ship. People rescued - 37 men, 15 women and 27 children - said they came from Syria, Iraq, Iran and Palestine.
The Border guards have provided them assistance and food, and a few hours later, they disembarked in the port of Chios and were handed over to the Greek authorities for further specific procedures (healthcare, identification, registration, fingerprinting, etc.).
The MAI 1102 patrolling ship of the Coast Guard, with a crew of 23 border guards on board, has been carrying out surveillance missions of the maritime external borders of the European Union in Greece, in the Aegean Sea, for a period of 4 months.
During their mission in Greece, the Romanian border guards saved, individually and in cooperation with the local police in Chios, Port Police and Ashore Frontex teams, 337 people who had arrived in the Greek territorial waters, aboard small boats.
