On Friday, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Athens to mark the anniversary of the shipwreck off the coast of Greece that claimed the lives of hundreds of migrants. They demanded answers regarding the cause of the tragedy and the fates of their relatives.

Around 700 migrants, mostly from Pakistan and Syria, were packed into a fishing boat bound for Italy. The trawler capsized on June 14, 2023 off the southwest coast of Greece, despite hours of monitoring by the Greek Coast Guard.

Only 82 bodies have been recovered. 104 people were saved. This catastrophe, which is one of the worst Mediterranean Boat Disasters in history, has raised serious questions about the European Union's efforts to stop the migrant flow.

"I wake up with nightmares." Mohammed, an Egyptian survivor, said, "Even now, I swear to God, my body still aches." "Thanks to God, we are still alive." "Where are the other bodies?"

Around 1,000 people marched in the capital, Athens. This included survivors and activists. They displayed a banner with a collage of photos of the missing.

They chanted, "We want justice!" "We want justice!" When do we want it?" Now!"

London, Paris, and Berlin were also planning rallies. In Lalamousa in Pakistan, relatives of the victims organized a memorial service.

Survivors claim that the Coast Guard caused the capsize of the ship when they tried to pull the vessel early in the morning. The authorities claim that the boat tipped over because of the migrants who were on board.

One year after the tragedy, an investigation by a court of naval jurisdiction into the role played by the coast guard is still in its preliminary stages, frustrating survivors, their relatives, and human rights groups. Greece's Shipping Minister has called for patience.

Pantelis Themelis said that 74 out of the 82 victims had been identified. Many more families in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia sent DNA samples for testing to Greece but to no avail.

Hasan Ali from Pakistan is a resident of Athens. He said that his brother Fahad, who was missing, was one of the people still unaccounted for. Their parents in Pakistan refused to accept that their son could be dead.

Ali replied, "My father and mother are waiting for him." They say he is alive and in Greece.

In a statement issued jointly, UNHCR (the UN agency for refugees) and IOM (the International Organization for Migration) called for "comprehensive" and "conclusive investigations into the circumstances surrounding the shipwreck.

They said that a thorough investigation was necessary to ensure justice for the victims' families and survivors, and to prevent future tragedies.

According to these organizations, 3155 people were killed or disappeared trying to cross to the Mediterranean last year. The toll for 2024 is 923. (Alkis Konstantinidis contributed additional reporting; Lesley Adler edited the article).