At least 19 people have drowned after their overcrowded boat sank in the Aegean Sea on the way to the Greek island of Lesbos, in the latest tragedy involving refugees and migrants seeking to enter Europe.

The wooden boat capsized in high waves two miles off the Bademli coast, near the town of Dikili, the Dogan news agency reported. Rescue teams managed to save 21 people and were still looking for one other survivor.

The Turkish coastguard recovered the bodies, including six children, from the sea. A one-year old baby was among those rescued.

Divers from the nearby Turkish port of Izmir were rushed to the scene after a tip-off that more refugees could be trapped in the hold, Dogan said.

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said this week that more than 1 million migrants and refugees reached Europe this year, most of them by sea. The vast majority of people – more than 800,000 – landed in Greece, according to the figures.



Greek police said on Wednesday that at least 13 people, including seven children, drowned when their boat sank in the Aegean.

Turkey, which has at least 2.2 million Syrian refugees, is a major launchpad for migrants and refugees trying to make it to EU member states.

The EU is grappling for solutions to the mass arrival of migrants, most of them Syrian refugees from Turkey.

Ankara reached an agreement with the EU in November to stem the flow of refugees heading to Europe, in return for financial assistance. Brussels vowed to provide €3bn (£2.2bn), as well as political concessions, to Ankara in return for its cooperation in tackling Europe’s worst refugee crisis since the second world war.

After the landmark deal, Turkish coastguard and police stepped up their presence along parts of the coastline where smugglers operate.

Hansjörg Haber, the EU ambassador to Turkey, said last week that the goal was to put smugglers “out of business” and deter migrants from going to the coast.

“We are already seeing enhanced effort on the part of the gendarmerie and the police but basically we want to stop this,” he said.

The Turkish government, however, has criticised the EU’s “security-oriented” approach to the refugee crisis, saying that the issue should be dealt with in a comprehensive manner.

“The refugee issue is not a matter of political bribery,” a Turkish government official said, adding that no other country was as experienced as Turkey in meeting refugee demands.

Winter conditions have seen a decrease in the numbers of people seeking to reach Europe on risky journeys by sea. Turkish media reported this week that smugglers have reduced the cost of a migrant trip to $500 (£335) from about $1,200 because of lower demand.