In this framework, meetings are being held between the Head of the Greek Coastguard and his Turkish counterpart, for matters related to illegal migration.61 Moreover, in an effort to reinforce cooperation between relevant agencies targeting ‘illegal migration’ by sea, two teams have been created: the ‘Superior Joint Commission’ under the auspices of the General Staff of National Defence and the ‘Informal Cooperation High Level Group’ under the auspices of the Maritime Ministry.62 • In the Aegean Sea refugees and migrants from different countries travel on unseaworthy inflatable boats, which – according to the documented cases – carry 20-30 people on average (including families, pregnant women, babies, unaccompanied minors etc .63) from Turkey to Greece, across the European Union’s southeastern external border. ‘I tried to look at their faces and remember them, but when I lifted my head one of them immediately attacked me with his baton screaming: ‘Don’t look at me!’ They were dressed in black. One of them was shouting: ‘Don’t look at me!’ and making noise with his baton on the floor of the boat.’ 65 • Almost all interviewees who were pushed back during night mentioned that the coastguard vessel appeared next to them suddenly without them having noticed it beforehand, as it was sailing with its lights off. Some added that the coastguard would also sail with lights off when pushing them back. ‘All of a sudden, a searchlight was turned on us. It was at a distance of approximately 15 meters. We hadn’t noticed any lights earlier. We stayed for about five minutes like that and then we raised our hands on our own’.66 • Refugees were allegedly pushed back to Turkey: a) from the Greek territorial waters, b) from the islands, c) after a distress alert was launched and d) from Farmakonisi military island after being detained incommunicado. 4.1.1 | Push-backs from Greek territorial waters • In almost all of the cases, the officers involved in the push-back operations were in “black uniforms, carrying guns and wearing full face masks” while, in other cases were “wearing blue uniforms”. • Most of the interviewees reported that they had been near to the Greek shores upon ‘The Greeks were wearing masks, and we could see only their mouths and their eyes.’ 64 ‘After one hour and half we reached a distance of half a kilometre from the coast of Lesvos. We could see something like a castle. There was a lighthouse, but a small one.’ 67 61 | Mediterranean Coastguards Forum (17-19/9/12) in Marseille: first contacts between the Head of the Hellenic Coastguard with his Turkish counterpart that reconfirmed their intention to continue the good cooperation established by their predecessors; The Minister met with the Turkish Ambassador (27/9/12). They discussed about the crisis in Syria and the pressure it makes and that Turkey must further commit into suppressing the phenomenon in its sea mainly but also land borders. Meeting of the Head of the Coastguard with the General Consular of Turkey Nurdan Altuntas (2.7.13). Available at: http://www.hcg.gr/node/5245 ; Meeting of the Head of the Hellenic Coastguard Vice Admiral Dimitrios Bantias with attaché of the Turkish Ministry of Defence (2.8.13). Available at: http://www.hcg.gr/node/5505 ; Visit of the General Consular of Turkey to the Head of the Hellenic Coastguard (5.9.13). Available at: http://www.hcg.gr/node/5771 - on illegal migration and other issues; Meeting of Varvitsiotis with the Turkish Ambassador Kerim Uras (25.9.13). Available at: http://www.hcg.gr/node/5900 62 | See footnote 51 63 | For example: Y.H. (40 years old), wife N.T. (32 years old), A.H. (m) (15 years old), S.K. (f) (13 years old), S.H. (f) (7 years old), S.H. (f) (9 years old), from Afghanistan/ pushed back from Lesvos on 13.7.2013; Interviewed in Mytilene (Lesvos), July 23, 2013; According to Lieutenant Antonis Sofiadelis (Lesvos) 3050 persons are usually in the boats they need to rescue, see Star TV reportage on the situation in Lesvos. Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL6BwjPwP5o 64 | T.A., from Afghanistan (with his pregnant wife and two children) / pushed back from the Aegean on 10.7.13; Interviewed in Athens (Greece), August 1, 2013 16 | pUSH-bACK oPERATIONS being detected by the Greek coastguard and before being pushed back. ‘We could see the streets, the houses and people walking. When we saw all this, we were really happy. We thought we had reached Europe.’ 68 • Almost all interviewees who were allegedly subjected to a push-back operation described that when this took place at night, the coastguard vessel suddenly appeared next to them without previously noticing it, as it was allegedly sailing very fast towards them and with its lights off. 65 | H.G.R., (with his family) from Afghanistan / pushed back from Samos in July 2013; Interviewed in Mytilene (Lesvos), September 17, 2013 66 | K.A., A.A., A.R., A.H., A.S., A.M. and B.F., from Syria / pushed back from the Aegean Sea near Samos on 28.8.13 67 | M.S. (lawyer), from Syria / pushed back 8.9.13 from Lesvos; Interviewed in Mytilene (Lesvos), September 17, 2013 68 | A.M., from Syria / pushed back from Chios in mid-August 2013; Interviewed in Mytilene (Lesvos), September 17, 2013 pUSH-bACK oPERATIONS | 17