BRUSSELS/ATHENS: Calling the investigation conducted by Greek authorities ‘inadequate’, EU lawmakers on Thursday pushed for an independent probe into the migrant boat tragedy off the Greek coast.

Meanwhile, the families of those still missing are pleading with authorities to recover the bodies of their loved ones.

The “seriousness” of the tragedy required an “independent and tran­s­parent international investigation,” Birgit Sippel, the lawmaker chairing the European Parliament hearing, said.

The committee called on Greece and the European Commission to set up an urgent probe to examine what actions the coast guard and EU border patrol agency Frontex took in relation with international obligations for search and rescue, AFP quoted her as saying.

Another lawmaker on the committee, Sophie in ‘t Veld, called it “naïve” to say that the Greek authorities could be trusted to take care of this.

EU home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson stressed that the commission had no powers to conduct its own investigation, nor to set up an EU-wide maritime search and rescue body.

While acknowledging that there were “a lot of unanswered questions” about the tragedy, “it’s the responsibility of the member states to investigate these kinds of things”.

The brother of Matloob Hussain has left the door of his Athens home open in the hope that he will reappear.

“They must take out the people who are inside. If they are dead, take them out,” Adil Hussain said, urging Greece to hire a vessel to recover them. “We will sell our houses, we will borrow money, if the state can’t. Just give me the body.”

But Greek government officials said that chances of retrieving the vessel were slim due to the depth to which it sank.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2023