Hundreds More Asylum Seekers Found Near Crete
Greece's coast guard rescues around 230 asylum seekers near the island of Crete, following over 600 arrivals during weekend operations.
ATHENS: Greece’s coast guard on Monday said it had rescued approximately 230 asylum seekers near the island of Crete, after hundreds more arrived over the weekend.
An EU border agency Frontex vessel initially spotted the migrants aboard two inflatable boats off Gavdos, a small island southwest of Crete that has seen increased migrant traffic in recent months.
On Sunday alone, Greek coast guard units conducted multiple operations to rescue over 600 asylum seekers in the region.
Images obtained by AFP depicted some of these individuals being brought ashore near Agia Galini beach on the southern part of Crete, amidst a backdrop of tourist activity.
According to data provided by the coast guard, Gavdos and Crete have seen 7,300 asylum seekers arrive this year, compared to fewer than 5,000 in the same period last year.
Since June, over 2,500 arrivals have been recorded.
Given the lack of significant accommodation facilities on Gavdos, all newcomers are either temporarily housed in municipal buildings or transferred to Crete for processing and eventual resettlement.
The majority of these migrants are believed to be embarking from Libya, which has prompted Greece’s foreign minister, George Gerapetritis, to visit eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar on Sunday.
Additional meetings with the UN-recognized government in Tripoli have been scheduled for July 15.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also addressed the issue during his discussions with EU counterparts in Brussels last month.
In response to the ongoing migrant flows, Mitsotakis has announced plans to deploy two Greek navy vessels outside Libyan waters to help curb the influx.
The situation in Libya remains volatile following the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that led to the overthrow and death of former leader Muammar Qaddafi.
An EU border agency Frontex vessel initially spotted the migrants aboard two inflatable boats off Gavdos, a small island southwest of Crete that has seen increased migrant traffic in recent months.
On Sunday alone, Greek coast guard units conducted multiple operations to rescue over 600 asylum seekers in the region.
Images obtained by AFP depicted some of these individuals being brought ashore near Agia Galini beach on the southern part of Crete, amidst a backdrop of tourist activity.
According to data provided by the coast guard, Gavdos and Crete have seen 7,300 asylum seekers arrive this year, compared to fewer than 5,000 in the same period last year.
Since June, over 2,500 arrivals have been recorded.
Given the lack of significant accommodation facilities on Gavdos, all newcomers are either temporarily housed in municipal buildings or transferred to Crete for processing and eventual resettlement.
The majority of these migrants are believed to be embarking from Libya, which has prompted Greece’s foreign minister, George Gerapetritis, to visit eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar on Sunday.
Additional meetings with the UN-recognized government in Tripoli have been scheduled for July 15.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also addressed the issue during his discussions with EU counterparts in Brussels last month.
In response to the ongoing migrant flows, Mitsotakis has announced plans to deploy two Greek navy vessels outside Libyan waters to help curb the influx.
The situation in Libya remains volatile following the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that led to the overthrow and death of former leader Muammar Qaddafi.
