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| At least 18 drown as migrant boat sinks in Aegean Sea | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| At least 18 people have drowned after their overcrowded boat sank in the Aegean Sea on the way to the Greek island of Lesbos, in the latest tragedy involving refugees and migrants seeking to enter Europe. | |
| The wooden boat capsized in high waves two miles off the Bademli coast, the Dogan news agency reported. | |
| The Turkish coastguard recovered the bodies, including several children, from the sea, and were hunting for another two who were missing. A one-year old baby was among those rescued. | |
| Divers from the nearby Turkish coastal city of Izmir were rushed to the scene after a tip-off that more refugees could be stuck in the hold, Dogan said. | |
| The UN refugee agency and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said this week more than 1 million migrants and refugees reached Europe this year, most of them by sea. The vast majority of people – over 800,000 – landed in Greece, according to the figures. | The UN refugee agency and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said this week more than 1 million migrants and refugees reached Europe this year, most of them by sea. The vast majority of people – over 800,000 – landed in Greece, according to the figures. |
| Related: Lesbos is swept by wave of compassion as refugees continue to arrive by sea | Related: Lesbos is swept by wave of compassion as refugees continue to arrive by sea |
| Greek police said on Wednesday that at least 13 people, including seven children, drowned when their boat sank in the Aegean. | Greek police said on Wednesday that at least 13 people, including seven children, drowned when their boat sank in the Aegean. |
| Turkey, which has at least 2.2 million Syrian refugees, is a major launchpad for migrants and refugees trying to make it to EU member states. | Turkey, which has at least 2.2 million Syrian refugees, is a major launchpad for migrants and refugees trying to make it to EU member states. |
| The EU is grappling for solutions to the mass arrival of migrants, most of them Syrian refugees from Turkey. | |
| Ankara reached an agreement with the EU in November to stem the flow of refugees heading to Europe, in return for financial assistance. Brussels vowed to provide €3bn as well as political concessions to Ankara in return for its cooperation in tackling Europe’s worst migrant crisis since the second world war. | |
| After the landmark deal, Turkish coastguard and police stepped up their presence along the coasts where smugglers operate. | |
| Hansjorg Haber, the EU ambassador to Turkey, said last week that the goal was to put smugglers “out of business” and deter migrants from going to the coastline. | |
| “We are already seeing enhanced effort on the part of the gendarmerie and the police but basically we want to stop this,” he said. | |
| The Turkish government, however, has criticised the EU’s “security-oriented” approach to the refugee crisis, saying that the issue should be dealt with in a comprehensive manner. | |
| “The refugee issue is not a matter of political bribery,” a Turkish government official said, adding that there was no other country as experienced as Turkey in meeting refugee demands. | |
| Winter conditions have seen a decrease in the numbers of people seeking to reach Europe in risky sea journeys. Turkish media reported this week that smugglers reduced the cost of a migrant trip to $500 from about $1,200 because of reduced demand. |