Turkey’s coastguards rescue 31 refugees deported by Greece

 Syrian refugees on boat

25 Mar 2020; MEMO: Turkish coastguards have rescued 31 asylum seekers stranded at sea off the coast of Muğla Province after Greek authorities forced them to return to Turkish territorial waters, Anadolu News Agency reported.

The Turkish coastguards said in a statement that their teams responded to a distress call issued by the boat which had 11 children and four women on board.

The asylum seekers said that Greek coastguards deported them from Simi Island and forced them to return to Turkish territorial waters.

The agency said the Turkish coastguards distributed blankets and food to the asylum seekers.