Greece will try to retrieve migrant girl’s body from river islet

• A 5-year-old Syrian girl was found dead on a river islet near the Greece-Turkey border.
• She reportedly died from a scorpion sting, according to humanitarian organizations and media sources.
• Greece will make an effort to locate her remains, its migration minister said.

According to Tuesday’s comments by Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi, Greece will make an effort to locate the remains of a 5-year-old girl who perished on a river islet near the Greece-Turkey border while trapped there with a group of migrants for many days.

A day after police discovered 35 Syrians and three Palestinians sheltering in Greek land after crossing the river from Turkey, including one pregnant mother and seven children, Mitarachi was in the larger Evros region of Greece.

The youngster, who was from Syria and was travelling with her parents and sibling, reportedly died from a scorpion sting, according to humanitarian organisations and media sources.

According to Mitarachi, the islet on the Evros river is Turkish land, and the Greek government has spoken with its Turkish counterparts about the situation.

During a visit to Evros, Mitarachi told reporters, “Sadly, it appears that a girl aged 5 years lost her life on Turkish soil.”

“We will coordinate with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent to ensure that the body of this girl is brought to Greece to be buried with dignity by her family.”

The Turkish Interior Ministry could not be reached for comment right away.

According to the media and campaigners, the migrants attempted to cross into mainland Greece but were turned away.
Greece has consistently denied forcibly turning away migrants or refugees at border crossings.

The group first entered Greek territory on August 14 and took cover for a day, Mitarachi told reporters on Tuesday.

He claimed that after being initially arrested by Turkish police, they were later hauled to the side of the river and made to cross against their will. He claimed that a boat had been discovered nearby on Monday.

“They were threatened by Turkish police to illegally cross into the European Union. That is a push forward which is completely illegal and in breach of international law,” the Greek minister said.

When one million refugees from conflict and poverty in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan came in the Mediterranean nation, mostly via Turkey, in 2015 and 2016, it served as the focal point of Europe’s migration crisis.

Since then, the number of arrivals has dramatically decreased, although Greek police claim they have stopped a sizable number of individuals from entering recently. Greece recorded 4,126 migrant arrivals between May and July, an increase of 113% from the same time last year.

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