327 migrants rescued off Crete in 48 hours
dpaAthens A total of 327 migrants have been rescued off the southern coast of the Greek island of Crete over two days, Greek public broadcaster ERT reported on Thursday.In the earl...
In a two-day period, 327 migrants were rescued off the southern coast of Greece's Crete island, according to Greek public broadcaster ERT. On Thursday morning, 87 migrants were pulled from two boats located about 21 nautical miles (39 kilometers) south and southeast of the Kaloi Limenes port, the coastguard revealed. A Frontex EU border agency aircraft had spotted the vessels.
Just a day prior, authorities had rescued around 240 migrants in five operations off the southern coast of Crete and the island of Gavdos. By early August, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that over 10,000 migrants had arrived on Crete since the year began. All the boats, as per the rescued individuals, originated from the area near the Libyan port city of Tobruk.
Crete and its nearby island, Gavdos, are key destinations for migrants attempting to reach Greece from North Africa. Greek coastguard sources indicated that dozens of boats are currently en route from Libya towards Crete.
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