Press releases and public statements released in recent days from the Greek border protection agency highlight an uptick in irregular migration activities in Greek waters.

This comes after repeated allegations -- the most recent of which came last month -- that Greece was involved in pushing migrants back to Turkey.

Also read: Turkey accuses Greece of pushing back migrants once again

Tuesday: speedboat chase and port intrusion

On Tuesday, coast guard officials said two of their boats engaged in a chase with a speedboat during a scheduled patrol near the small island of Chondros, located next to the larger island of Symi. 

Authorities stressed the speedboat transporting migrants did not comply with light and sound signals made by the patrol boats and instead engaged in dangerous maneuvers to ram the coast guard vessels.

In the end, the speedboat was reportedly immobilized, resulting in the arrest of two unspecified foreign nationals who had been operating the small vessel.

A total of 23 migrants were found on board the speedboat. They were taken to the port of Symi, where they told police they had launched from the nearby Turkish resort town of Datca, with each paying €6,000 to the traffickers.

Meanwhile on mainland Greece, an injured migrant without papers was found inside the port area of Igoumenitsa, which is located near the island of Corfu as well as the border with Albania.

The 35-year-old male migrant reportedly tried to jump the fence of the port and was injured in one of his lower limbs. He was taken to the General Hospital of Filiata for further examination, according to official statement.

Also on Tuesday, two foreign nationals were arrested in Patras in the northern Peloponnese. The 34-year-old and the 26-year-old were accused of entering the country using false documents.

Also read: Greek coast guard rescues migrants, accused of further pushbacks

Monday: Coordinated rescue followed by 'detention' at Kara Tepe

On Monday, at least 55 people were rescued by from a rocky islet near Mytilene in Lesbos. At least one person was found dead and another remained missing, according to Associated Press (AP) reporting.

The Aegean Boat Report however said that two people had drowned in the incident. InfoMigrants could not verify their reporting.

The Hellenic coast guard said in a statement that the remaining migrants were all in good health and taken to the island, were they were housed at Lesbos' Kara Tepe center.

Kara Tepe -- which was expanded in the wake of the devastating 2020 fire at the Moria camp -- is known for having inadequate facilities, including limited access to electricity and strict controls for leaving and reentering the camp. 

Lesbos remains a major landing point for migrants crossing the Aegean from Turkey. However, arrival numbers in Lesbos and in Greece in general have dropped in the past year.

Also read: At least three dead as migrant boat capsizes near Lesbos

Sunday: From Crete to Kos, migrants try to reach Greek soil

On Sunday, 74 people, including at least 20 minors, were rescued off the northern coast of Crete and brought to the island.

The same afternoon, an unconscious man was discovered off the shores of the island of Kos, one of the Aegean islands located closest to the Turkish mainland. The Port Authority of Kos was immediately informed to coordinate a rescue operation.

The man was later transferred to the general hospital of Kos, where he was declared dead upon arrival. An autopsy has been ordered.

There have also been reports of several road accidents involving migrants and smugglers over the weekend; however, authorities say there were no recent fatalities involved in these instances.

Also read: Greece: Over 100 migrants rescued off Crete

Acquittal of Lesbos aid workers

Meanwhile, a Greek court in Lesbos on Tuesday acquitted a group of 16 aid workers and volunteers accused of engaging in illegal activities to rescue migrants involved in small boat sea crossings from neighboring Turkey.

The accused had been facing serious charges, including espionage.

Various rights groups, however, said Greece was targeting the defendants for simply doing their humanitarian work.

"These charges should never have been brought," one of the defense lawyers, Haris Petsikos, told reporters, adding that the prosecution hadn't been able to prove that "any of the defendants did anything illegal."

"And the court agreed."

Further legal woes expected

However, the 16 defendants -- as well as two other international volunteers linked to the case, who had been acquitted of misdemeanor charges a year ago, may still face other criminal charges, including accusations of "facilitating illegal immigration" and "money laundering."

Petsikos said he was confident all would be acquitted of any remaining charges.

Also read: Greece pledges to fight traffickers during ICMPD presidency

with AP