4 dead after Greek vessel hits boat

The boat, which the coast guard said was old, sank after the crash and 31 persons were rescued.

(Vatican Radio) Greece has turned down a suggestion from Brussels for joint Greek-Turkish naval patrols to stem the flow of Middle Eastern migrants – even as seven more migrants perished yesterday in the waters off the Greek island of Lesbos.

The wooden boat was carrying 39 people from Turkey’s coast to Greece, according to initial accounts.

Officials say an investigation has been ordered to determine the cause of the collision.

The Greek Shipping ministry said during September, Greek authorities rescued 141,919 undocumented migrants and refugees in 795 incidents. The nationalities of the migrants were not immediately known.

On Wednesday, Greek coast guard officers recovered another three bodies, again off the coast of Lesbos: a woman, a baby and an older child.

Meanwhile, about 400,000 people have illegally entered Greece from the start of the year, fleeing war zones and hoping for a better future in Europe. More than 3,000 people have perished.

The worldwide Organization for Migration says more than 600,000 migrants have reached Europe’s shores since January, while more than 3000 have died or gone missing.

Athens and the United Nations refugee agency have both called on the European Union to open up more legal channels for people fleeing war and persecution, so that they do not have to risk their lives to reach safety.