Left to the Waves: The Perilous Reality of Migrant Pushbacks at Mediterranean Sea

In recent years, the Aegean Sea has become the deadliest sea route for migrants and asylum seekers from North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. A ship capsized with 750 migrants on June 14, 2023 in the Mediterranean Sea and sinking off the coast of Greece with 80 dead, 100 rescued and 500 missing showed the depth of tragedy of Mediterranean Sea route for migrants and pushbaks practice. The aim of this article is to investigate Pushbacks practice ın the Aegean Sea which is the deadliest sea route for the mıgrants and asylum seekers. This article will also examine the practice of pushbacks, which has contributed to an increase in deaths in the Mediterranean. Pushbacks appear to have begun after the 2015 migration crisis, and evidence confirms that pushbacks were implemented deliberately in response to mass migration. Pushbacks include a variety of state measures aimed at forcing refugees and migrants to leave their territory while denying access to applicable legal and procedural frameworks. In some cases - migrants are forcibly returned from EU territorial waters to the open sea and leaving afloat in the middle of Sea in a dangerous way by Greek Coast Guard and Frontex. Pushbacks are considered unlawful under international migration law and European migration policies. Türkiye has historically been a country of origin, transit and destination for migrants. At the same time migrants and asylum seekers consider Türkiye as a transit country to reach Greece and Italy via the Aegean Sea.