Four migrants found dead off İzmir, Turkey

At least four migrants died after falling into the sea from their rubber dinghy on Aug. 18 off the western province of İzmir, officials have announced.

The incident took place off the coast of the Karaburun district, the Coast Guard command said in a statement.

Officials rescued two migrants and found four bodies and were still searching for more missing with the help of a helicopter, drone, five boats and a larger vessel.

It was not immediately clear how many migrants the boat carried or what their nationality was.

The incident came a day after Turkish authorities apprehended 115 undocumented migrants and rescued 25 others in separate operations off the coast of İzmir.

On Aug. 17, off the coast of Datça in the southwestern province of Muğla, 86 illegal migrants, including 20 children, who were pushed back into Turkish waters by Greek forces, were rescued. Authorities arrested two human smugglers in connection with the incident.

Many migrants embark on the short but perilous route between the Turkish coast and the nearby Greek islands of Samos, Rhodes and Lesbos, which serve as entry points to the European Union.

Authorities in Greece said more than 120 migrants were intercepted off the island of Crete early on Aug. 18, the latest in a series of arrivals despite a suspension of asylum claims and plans for tougher detention rules.

The government remains at odds with regional authorities in Crete over a plan to build a permanent transit facility on the island. It is preparing draft legislation, to be submitted after the summer recess, that would mandate imprisonment for migrants whose asylum claims are denied and require ankle monitors during a 30-day compliance period before deportation.