Syrian mother and seven children drown attempting to reach Greece

A Syrian mother and her seven children drowned as they attempted to cross the Aegean from Turkey to the Greek island of Chios, the BBC reported. Only the father of the family survived.

The oldest child was nine and the youngest 20 days old, the father Ali al-Saho, who managed to swim back to the Turkish shore, told the BBC.

Smugglers who had provided the boat told them that they did not need life jackets but the motor took on water in high waves and the vessel capsized.

The family was fleeing Islamic State in Deir ez-Zor, in eastern Syria, al-Saho said. “I took my family out of Syria to escape the killing. [My wife] dreamed she could have a future in Europe. Now I have lost my family, my world.”

The devastated father advised other Syrians in the same dilemma not to risk fleeing to Europe by sea. “Don’t take the risk. You will lose your family. The smugglers are traitors.”

“They said we would reach Greece within 15 minutes. I advise everyone: don’t come, stay in Syria, however difficult it is.”

Some of the bodies of his family have been recovered, although not his wife or his other children.

Earlier this week, six Afghan refugees drowned trying to make the same short crossing from Cesme to the island of Chios, only a few kilometres from the Turkish coast, where many refugees embark on their attempt to reach Europe.

More than 3,500 people have died this year trying to reach Europe by sea from Turkey or north Africa.

The 28 EU states signed an agreement on 30 November with Turkey to reduce the number of refugees attempting to reach Europe, as well as pledging increased support for refugees in the country in exchange for funding worth more $3.2bn from the EU, and closer ties between the bloc and Ankara.

Turkey hosts the highest number of refugees from Syria, 1.8 million.