Suspected smugglers deny charges over migrant shipwreck off Greece

FILE PHOTO: Relatives and friends of refugees and migrants who were onboard a boat that capsized at open sea off Greece, seek information regarding survivors and missing people, at the entrance of a reception and identification camp in Malakasa, Greece, June 17, 2023. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas/File Photo

ATHENS (Reuters) -Nine men charged over the worst shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea this year that killed at least 82 people, denied any wrongdoing in court on Tuesday, while the European Union promised more funds and actions on migration.

Greece, which has come under increasing scrutiny over its response to the June 12-13 disaster, is still searching the sea in the wider area, though the chance of finding more survivors was seen as virtually nil.