A boat carrying up to 22 people on board has capsized near the island of Agathonissi, killing six children. The Greek migration minister has called on authorities to "implement safe procedures and safe routes."
The EU-Turkey deal effectively stemmed the flow of migrants across the Aegean Sea (archive photo)Image: picture-alliance/dpa/K. Nietfeld
The boat went down near the Greek island of Agathonissi with up to 22 people on board, according to authorities. At least six children were also killed in the tragic incident.
"We can't tolerate to lose children in the Aegean Sea … the solution is to protect people, to implement safe procedures and safe routes for migrants and refugees, to hit the human trafficking circuits," said Greek Migration Minister Dimitris Vitsas.
Migrant deal
The incident comes days after the EU unlocked €3 billion ($3.7 billion) for Turkey, the second payment under a deal that witnessed the number of migrants making the deadly crossing across the Aegean drop significantly.
Under the deal, the EU agreed to pay out billions of euros to Turkey to support Syrian refugees in the Anatolian country. It also allowed the EU to return failed asylum seekers to Turkey in exchange for the bloc taking in refugees on a one-for-one basis.
Before closing the so-called Balkan route in early 2016, a significant portion of migrants arriving in the bloc departed from Turkey's Aegean coast.
'Disaster'
The deal has been dubbed a success by European leaders. After negotiating the deal in 2016, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it would "end the business model of people smugglers and contribute to securing the EU's external borders."
Frontex, the EU's border management agency, recorded in 2017 the lowest number of detected illegal border crossings since the migration crisis peaked two years prior. In 2015, more than one million migrants entered the EU, many of them fleeing conflict and extreme poverty in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
"It is disingenuous in the extreme that European leaders are touting the EU-Turkey deal as a success while closing their eyes to the unbearably high cost to those suffering the consequences," said Amnesty International's Gauri van Gulik in a statement last year.
How did Europe's refugee crisis start?
From escalating violence in the Middle East and Africa to incoherent asylum policy at home - DW looks at how the EU has found itself in the midst of a refugee crisis.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Fleeing war and poverty
In late 2014, with the war in Syria approaching its fourth year and Islamic State making gains in the north of the country, the exodus of Syrians intensified. At the same time, others were fleeing violence and poverty in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, Niger and Kosovo.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Seeking refuge over the border
Vast numbers of Syrian refugees had been gathering in border-town camps in neighboring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan since 2011. By 2015, with the camps full to bursting and residents often unable to find work or educate their children, more and more people decided to seek asylum further afield.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
A long journey on foot
In 2015 an estimated 1.5 million people made their way on foot from Greece towards western Europe via the "Balkan route". The Schengen Agreement, which allows passport-free travel within much of the EU, was called into question as refugees headed towards the wealthier European nations.
Image: Getty Images/M. Cardy
Desperate sea crossings
Tens of thousands of refugees were also attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean on overcrowded boats. In April 2015, 800 people of various nationalities drowned when a boat traveling from Libya capsized off the Italian coast. This was to be just one of many similar tragedies - by the end of the year, nearly 4,000 refugees were reported to have died attempting the crossing.
Image: Reuters/D. Zammit Lupi
Pressure on the borders
Countries along the EU's external border struggled to cope with the sheer number of arrivals. Fences were erected in Hungary, Slovenia, Macedonia and Austria. Asylum laws were tightened and several Schengen area countries introduced temporary border controls.
Image: picture-alliance/epa/B. Mohai
Closing the open door
Critics of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's "open-door" refugee policy claimed it had made the situation worse by encouraging more people to embark on the dangerous journey to Europe. By September 2016, Germany had also introduced temporary checks on its border with Austria.
Image: Reuters/F. Bensch
Striking a deal with Turkey
In early 2016, the EU and Turkey signed an agreement under which refugees arriving in Greece could be sent back to Turkey. The deal has been criticized by human rights groups and came under new strain following a vote by the European Parliament in November to freeze talks on Turkey's potential accession to the EU.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Altan
No end in sight
With anti-immigration sentiment in Europe growing, governments are still struggling to reach a consensus on how to handle the continuing refugee crisis. Attempts to introduce quotas for the distribution of refugees among EU member states have largely failed. Conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere show no signs coming to an end, and the death toll from refugee sea crossings is on the rise.
