Relatives of migrants stranded in a makeshift boat off the coast of Greece hold a sit-in at the Bebnine-Abdeh roundabout (North Lebanon), Sept. 6, 2022. (L'Orient Today/Michel Hallak)
BEIRUT — Families of at least 60 irregular migrants who have been stranded at sea since Saturday cut off a road in northern Lebanon's Akkar governorate on Tuesday to protest against a lack of cooperation from Greek authorities in assisting their loved ones, L'Orient Today's correspondent there reported.
The protesters, most of whom are reportedly from the village of Bebenine in Akkar, said they believe that their family members are in danger of dying of hunger or thirst, and that the boat, which is now out of fuel between the Greek and Maltese coasts, could sink. They have threatened to escalate the situation, saying they are ready to demonstrate in front of the Greek embassy in Beirut if Greek authorities do not move quickly to rescue the stranded passengers.
The boat left the Lebanese coast on Saturday after the passengers boarded from smaller boats to avoid attracting attention, a family member of some of those on board told L'Orient Today. The vessel, which was also reportedly carrying Palestinians and Syrians, then broke down at sea between the coasts of Greece and Malta before its captain was said to have escaped.
According to the Associated Press, the passengers informed their relatives and volunteer groups by satellite phone that two young children had died on board. However, on Tuesday, families of the passengers told L'Orient Today's correspondent in North Lebanon that no casualties had yet been reported to them.
There has been a recent spate of dangerous irregular boat journeys as people vie to escape Lebanon's unprecedented economic crisis.
A migrant boat sank off the coast of Tripoli, North Lebanon, in April with dozens of people on board after a Lebanese Army boat intercepted the vessel. Around 40 people were killed, with dozens of them still missing beneath the sea.
The Indian-owned submarine “Blue Whale,” which arrived in Lebanon in late August to conduct an operation in search of April's sunken boat, left Lebanon last week without releasing any report on the mission’s findings, lawyer Mohammed Sablouh, who is representing some of the families of the victims, told L’Orient Today.
Reporting contributed by Michel Hallak.