Greece recovers 12 dead migrants from boat off of Crete, coast guard says
ATHENS: Greece retrieved the bodies of 12 dead migrants from a boat sailing off the island of Crete early on Monday, its coast guard said. It was not immediately clear how the migrants died. The coast guard rescued another 18 people from the boat about 15 nautical miles off the port of Kaloi Limenes and dozens of others in two other incidents off Crete, a coast guard official said, adding that…
Greece has recovered the bodies of 12 migrants who lost their lives while onboard a boat off the coast of Crete early Monday, according to the country's coast guard. The cause of the migrants' deaths remains unknown at this time. The coast guard also rescued 18 individuals from the same boat, which was located approximately 15 nautical miles off the port of Kaloi Limenes.
Dozens of additional migrants were saved from two other incidents off the coast of Crete, with all of them set to be taken ashore, a coast guard official reported.
Greece, historically a popular entry point for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia seeking to reach Europe, has been at the forefront of Europe's migration crisis since 2015. During that period, nearly a million people landed on its islands, primarily from Turkey. While overall migrant arrivals have decreased since then due to enhanced sea and border patrols by Athens, the influx of migrants from northeastern Libya trying to cross to Europe through Crete has notably increased.
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