ATHENS - (AFP) - Greek police announced Monday evening that they had located 38 Syrians on the Greek-Turkish border, who had been stranded for days, according to the United Nations, on an island on the Evros border river.
Non-governmental organizations and media reported the death of a child among the Syrians, which the police could not confirm so far.
"After new information and in-depth investigations, a group of illegal immigrants, who are Syrians according to their statements, including nine women and seven children, were located on Greek territory," the police said in a statement.
The immigrants' location was discovered "at a distance of about four kilometers from the initially announced point, which was outside Greek territory," and the statement added, noting that among them was a "pregnant woman."
Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said that the migrants, "all in very good condition (...) were on a boat four kilometers south of the Turkish island of Evros."
"The pregnant woman was taken to the hospital as a precaution," he wrote on Twitter.
The information comes a day after Mitarachi blamed Turkey for finding the migrants, because the Evros River island where they were, according to the United Nations and media outlets, was "a point outside Greek territory".
On Sunday, the immigration minister indicated that Greek police had "carried out multiple checks" but had not found any migrants on the Greek side.
The case has caused an uproar in recent days on the Internet, with journalists and human rights NGOs warning of the "critical situation" of the refugees.
The Evros River (Maritsa in Turkish) separates the Greek-Turkish land border (northeast) and extends for approximately 200 kilometers.
On Saturday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees called for "urgent measures" to be taken to rescue "about forty people stranded on a small island on the border between Greece and Turkey."
"According to media reports received, a child has died tragically," UNHCR wrote in a tweet. "Unless urgent action is taken, we fear that more lives will be at risk."
The minister and the police have not yet confirmed the information about the death of the child, which occurred last week, according to the United Nations and media on the island of Evros.
For its part, the Greek police said that they had reported this case to the Turkish border authorities twice in recent days.
Human rights NGOs and media reported that these refugees were victims of illegal push-backs between Greece and Turkey, and had been stranded on an island in Evros for days.
Greece is facing accusations from non-governmental organizations and the media of its responsibility in the forced and illegal deportation of migrants from its sea and land borders. Greece's conservative government denies the accusations.
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Greek police locate 38 Syrians who have been stuck for days on the Greek-Turkish border