4.1. Push-back operations from the Aegean Sea coordinated by the Joint Rescue Cooperation Center (JRCC), which is based in Pireaus and runs under the command of the Headquarters. In 2013 there was an increase in the number of refugees leaving the west coast of Turkey to cross the Eastern Aegean Sea towards the Greek Islands. In the beginning of the year, this border section ranked second in the EU level in terms of detections 51, despite the fact that the number of arrivals remained low compared to previous years. During the last nine months of the year, 8.052 refugees/migrants 52 were arrested for irregularly crossing the sea border to Greece according to the Greek police. As the former Minister of Shipping and of the Aegean Mr. Mousouroulis stated, during a meeting with the Greek Prime Minister, the Hellenic Coastguard is currently implementing one of its biggest operations in the Aegean Sea 58, with the cooperation of Frontex 59, within the framework of ‘JO Poseidon Sea’. The Ministry of Shipping and of the Aegean developed and implemented a complete strategy 60 on the enhancement and effective protection of Greece’s sea borders. This includes the interception of migration flows utilizing surveillance measures for the early detection and interception of boats carrying refugees. It also entails inter-sector cooperation led by the ‘National Coordination Center’ in the frame of the Eurosur Surveillance System. The Hellenic Coastguard 53 is the competent authority for the policing of the Aegean Sea, and search and rescue operations within the area are its responsibility.54 To this end, the Coastguard’s elite forces ‘Special Mission Units’ 55 are assigned the task of tackling ‘illegal migration’ and controlling the sea borders 56, and operate in the Aegean sea, along with the local coastguard authorities. The search and rescue operations 57 are 51 | FRAN quarterly January-March 2013, p12. Available at: http://www.frontex.europa.eu/assets/Publications/Risk_Analysis/FRAN_Q1_2013.pdf 52 | Hellenic Police Statistics on irregular migration 2013. Available at: http://www.astynomia.gr/images/stories/2013/statistics13/stat_allod/etsynora.pdf 53 | For more information concerning the Hellenic Coastguard, its mission, structure, units see: L3079/2002 ‘Code of the Coastguard Staff’, L3922/2011 ‘Establishment of the Headquarters of the Hellenic Coastguard and other provisions’, Presidential Decree 67/2011 ‘Organization of the Services of the Hellenic Coastguard’, Presidential Decree 94/2012 ‘Amendment on Presidential Decree ‘Establishment and renaming of Ministries, transfer and abolishment of Services’ 54 | The Hellenic region of SAR responsibility coincides absolutely with the limits of region of Athens FIR (Flight Information Region), in which except the control of air trafficking, Hellas is responsible to execute air and maritime SAR; The HCG for the implementation of its work and in order to cover its operational needs allocates big number of navigable means. The navigable means that allocate today the HCG are 271, various types and various operational possibilities, as are analytically reported in ‘The Competence of Hellas on Search and Rescue Items in the Aegean Area’, Korontzis Tryfon. Available at: www.ccsenet.org/res ; Review of European Studies Vol. 4, No. 2; June 2012; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Search and Rescue. Available at: http://www.mfa.gr/en/issues-of-greek-turkish-relations/relevantdocuments/search-and-rescue.html; According to the SAR Convention, parties are encouraged to enter into SAR agreements with neighboring States. Available at: http://www.imo.org/blast/mainframe.asp?topic_id=765 ; With regards to Greece’s territorial waters see Hellenic National Defense General Staff. Available at: http://www.geetha.mil.gr/index.asp?a_id=2781 ; Violation of territorial waters. Available at: http://www.geetha.mil.gr/index.asp?a_id=2787 55 | Art 136 Law 3079/2002 (Chapter III, Special Mission Units of the Hellenic Coastguard: Establishment, Organization, Staff) The Special Units Directorate consists of the Underwater Unit and the Special Missions Unit. The training, organization, function, means, equipment, as well as operational uniforms, its insignia and the choice of the Special Mission Unit staff are determined by a Regulation after a proposal drafted by the Head of the Hellenic Coastguard which is approved by the Ministry of Shipping and the Aegean excluding its publication to the Government Gazette. | 14 | pUSH-bACK oPERATIONS 56 | Statistical data concerning the arrests for illegal entry from 1.1.12-31.7.12 102 arrests, from 1.8.1230.9.12 964 arrests. Available at: ΕΙΣΟΔΟΣ ΑΝΑΤΟΛΙΚΑ ΣΥΝΟΡΑ 01.08-30.09.doc December 2012 (Available at: εισοδου εξοδου 2012 Δ.Δ.Σ.doc ) 249 arrests, January 2013 (Available at: εισοδου εξοδου 2013 Δ.Δ.Σ.doc) 135 arrests, February 2013 (εισοδου εξοδου 2013 Δ.Δ.Σ.doc ) 351 arrests, March 2013 (εισοδου εξοδου 2013 Δ.Δ.Σ.doc) 394 arrests, April 2013 (εισοδου εξοδου 2013 Δ.Δ.Σ.doc) 571 arrests, May 2013 (maios_Δ.Δ.Σ.doc ) 671 arrests, June 2013 (ΠΑΡΑΝΟΜΗΣ ΕΙΣΟΔΟΥ-ΕΞΟΔΟΥ ΑΛΛΟΔΑΠΩΝ.doc ) 1174 arrests, July 2013 (εισοδου εξοδου 2013 Δ.Δ.Σ.doc ) 1408 arrests, August 2013 (εισοδου εξοδου 2013 Δ.Δ.Σ.doc ) 883 arrests, September 2013 (ΠΑΡΑΝΟΜΗΣ ΕΙΣΟΔΟΥ-ΕΞΟΔΟΥ ΑΛΛΟΔΑΠΩΝ.doc ) 927 arrests. 57 | Incidents concerning Search and Rescue operations: December 2012: 5 within Greece/2 outside Greece (ΕΚΣΕΔ ΔΕΚΕΜΒΡΙΟΥ 2012.doc), According to the official data in 2012 JRCC dealt with 1180 incidents, concerning 2839 persons within the Greek SRR and 250 outside its FIR, in which it was the first center to receive an alert. Out of 1180 incidents, 45 concerned illegal migrants (3,81%) and 1028 persons (36,2%) www.hcg.gr/node/4229 January 2013: 4 within Greece/3 outside Greece; (https://www.hcg.gr/sites/default/files/article/attach/0212121.doc), March 2013: 4 within Greece/9 outside Greece (http://www.hcg.gr/node/4581), April 2013: 5 within Greece/11 outside Greece (http://www.hcg.gr/node/4904( ΕΚΣΕΔ ΑΠΡΙΛΙΟΣ 2013-1.doc ), June 2013: 9 within Greece/16 outside Greece (ΕΚΣΕΔ ΙΟΥΝΙΟΥ 2013.doc), July 2013: 11 within Greece/30 outside (http://www.hcg.gr/node/5617 ΚΣΕΔ ΙΟΥΛΙΟΥ 2013-1.doc ), August 2013: 13 within Greece/26 outside Greece (ΕΚΣΕΔ_ΘΕΡΙΝΗΣ ΠΕΡΙΟΔΟΥ 2013-2.doc) 58 | Minister of Shipping and of the Aegean Miltiadis Varvitsiotis radio interview on ‘Athina 9,84’: ‘(…) approximately 2.000 men and 35 vessels are patrolling on a 24hour basis the sea borders which are comprised of 2000 km’. Available at: http://www.hcg.gr/node/5630 59 | Art 20 §3d Presidential Decree 67/2011 ‘The Sea borders protection Division’: ‘(…) The Operational Cooperation Section is competent (…) to draft proposal and configure positions, the participation of representatives and the cooperation of the activities in their supports in the actions of international organizations and European agencies, such as Frontex’. 60 | Minister’s answer to the articles concerning the guarding of Greece’s southeastern sea borders. Available at: http://www.hcg.gr/node/3313. The Ministry of Shipping and of the Aegean met with the Prime Minister (21.2.13) and presented to him the realizations [+ΑΠΟΛΟΓΙΣΜΟΣ+ΕΡΓΟΥ[2].pdf] and the Plans for 2013 [ΠΡΟΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΙΣΜΟΣ[1].pdf]; see also Minister of Shipping and of the Aegean Kostas Mousouroulis speech held during his meeting with the presidency of the European People’s Party. Available at: www.hcg.gr/node/4376 pUSH-bACK oPERATIONS | 15