A total of 625 migrants were rescued off the islands of Gavdos and Crete in the early morning hours of Friday. 545 people were on one boat, while in a second rescue incident, 32 people were on a small boat, authorities said.
According to local media and the rescued own statements, they are from Sudan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Yemen, Egypt. Three women and five children 2-10 years old are among those rescued.
They were transferred to the port of Agia Galini and from there with buses to the temporary accommodation area, where the required reception, identification and registration procedures will be followed.
A total of 545 migrants were rescued from a boat that sent a distress signal, in an operation involving three coast guard vessels, three ships from the EU border agency Frontex and three nearby boats. The migrants were to be transferred to the port of Rethymno on Crete, Greece’s largest island.
Earlier, a Frontex vessel located 32 migrants aboard another boat off Gavdos. They were taken to Hania, also on Crete.
All those rescued were reported to be in good health.
The continuous increase in migrant arrivals on the southern side of the Crete is reportedly causing great concern to port authorities and the local community of the island, with the total number since the beginning of the year now approaching 19,000.
It would be more humane and cheaper, to rescue them directly from Cairo.