Greek coast guard says over 600 migrants rescued from 2 fishing boats

Greece’s seashore defender says much than 600 migrants person been rescued aft 2 woody sportfishing boats were recovered sailing miles from the southernmost portion of Greece

ATHENS, Greece -- More than 600 migrants were rescued overnight and aboriginal Friday from 2 woody sportfishing boats recovered sailing miles (kilometers) from the southernmost portion of Greece, the country's seashore defender said.

The archetypal sportfishing boat, carrying 352 people, was spotted overnight astir 30 nautical miles (35 miles, 55 kilometers) southbound of the tiny land of Gavdos, the seashore defender said. Passengers were rescued by a vessel from the European borderline patrol bureau FRONTEX, aided by a seashore defender patrol vessel and 4 different vessels.

The 2nd was recovered 50 nautical miles (about 60 miles, 90 kilometers) southbound of the land of Crete with 278 radical connected board. The passengers were picked up by a passing Portuguese-flagged cargo ship. In some cases, the migrants were transported to Crete.

There was nary contiguous accusation connected the nationalities of those connected committee the 2 sportfishing boats.

Another 2 boats carrying migrants were located successful the aforesaid country connected Thursday, the seashore defender said. One, carrying 73 men, was recovered southbound of Gavdos and different with 26 people, including 1 pistillate and 3 minors, was recovered adjacent the seashore of confederate Crete.

The seashore defender said those connected the smaller vessel told authorities they had acceptable sail the erstwhile evening from Tobruk successful Libya, and had each paid smugglers either 4,000 euros ($5,500) for their transition to Greece. Two Sudanese teenagers, 1 aged 16 and the different 19, were arrested connected suspicion of migrant smuggling aft different passengers identified them arsenic having been operating the boat.

Greece has been connected 1 of the preferred routes into the European Union for radical fleeing warfare and poorness successful the Middle East, Africa and Asia for decades. Arrivals from neighboring Turkey to the eastbound and the Libyan seashore to the southbound spiked past year, with Greece signaling much than 60,000 radical arriving — the immense bulk by oversea — successful 2024, compared to conscionable implicit 48,000 the erstwhile year, according to figures from the U.N. exile agency. As of June 15 this year, a full of 16,290 arrivals were recorded, with much than 14,600 of those by sea.

With authorities intimately patrolling the eastbound oversea borderline with Turkey to forestall migrant boats reaching adjacent Greek islands, smugglers look to beryllium progressively opting for the overmuch longer and riskier Mediterranean Sea crossing from the northbound African seashore to the confederate extremity of Greece, utilizing larger boats into which they tin cram much people.

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