Four Iraqis including two children have drowned after a Greece-bound migrant vessel capsized in the Aegean Sea, Turkey's Anadolu news agency reports
The boat had been carrying eight migrants from the Turkish coastal resort of Bodrum to the Greek island of Kos when it capsized. Four people were rescued by the Turkish Coast Guard and a suspect has been detained for organising the illegal journey, Anadolu said on Friday.
The news comes as the EU's border agency Frontex announced its intention to gradually boost its Aegean presence from 195 to 376 officers in order to support Greek efforts to handle the crisis.
Greece is the main European gateway for hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing violence in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as so-called economic migrants fleeing poverty in eastern Europe, Asia and Africa.
The vast majority of migrants who arrived this year - close to 1 million in total - arrived on Greek Aegean islands from Turkey.
They are now moving north through Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria, with many hoping to seek asylum in Germany.
Greece has come under fire for failing to secure its coastline and register all arrivals, effectively allowing people to pass through the country unchecked and on to wealthy countries.
Frontex is increasing its presence to enhance the screening of migrants and help local authorities determine their nationality and register them, as well as to fight people smuggling networks.
The agency also plans to send more equipment, including additional vessels, to the Aegean. It presently has 16 vessels and two helicopters there.
The European Commission, the EU's executive, on December 15 proposed a controversial plan to transform Frontex into the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, with a doubled budget and more authority, in order to better secure the bloc's frontiers.
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