NGO rejects minister’s claim of assisting people smugglers

Norwegian NGO Aegean Boat Report has vehemently denied accusations levelled against it by Migration Minister Notis Mitarakis of assisting migrant smugglers in the Aegean.

"We are astonished at this unprovoked and deliberately misleading attack on our organisation. Aegean Boat Report, in common with all aid organisations working to help the Greek government and the EU with the refugee response in Greece, strongly opposes people smuggling between Turkey and Greece," Aegean Boat Report founder and director Tommy Olsen said in an emailed press release on Wednesday.

"We are not, never have been and never will be part of any smuggling network and we do not work, have never worked, and will never work with any person or people smuggling people on any route, in any part of the world," he added, noting that the NGO locates men, women and children who arrive on the Greek...

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