Dozens of migrants, including ten children, have arrived on the tourist island of Crete in unstable boats after departing from Libya. In a separate incident on mainland Greece, police arrested four people near the northeastern border with Turkey on suspicion of transporting migrants in overcrowded vehicles on behalf of smuggling networks.
The Greek Coast Guard has said a total of 79 migrants reached the island of Crete in small boats from Libya on Thursday (June 25), the English-language edition of Greek newspaper Kathimerini reported.
According to the coast guard, 33 men, a woman and ten children were located at the harbor of Loutra, after crossing from eastern Libya in a small inflatable boat. The coast guard later found another 35 people off the island’s southern coast.
On Wednesday, 158 people reached Crete in four small vessels, the report added.
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Libya-Crete route sees rise in crossings despite risks to life
There has been an increase in the number of boats continuing to depart from the Libyan coast toward Crete, a popular holiday destination, according to Greek maritime authorities.
Many of the recent arrivals have been citizens of Bangladesh, Egypt and Pakistan, whom the conservative Greek government has criticized as economic migrants rather than migrants fleeing conflict or persecution.
The hazardous sea crossing from North Africa to Crete spans approximately 300 kilometers (186 miles) and has increasingly become a route favored by smugglers, who can demand more than 3,000 euros (3,400 US dollars) for the dangerous journey.
Greek authorities arrest four on suspicion of transporting migrants crammed in vehicles
Also in Greece this week, local police arrested four more people near the country’s northeastern border with Turkey on suspicion of transporting migrants westward in overcrowded vehicles on behalf of smuggling networks, eKathimerini reported on Thursday.
The latest arrests bring the number of suspected smugglers detained in the area over the past week to 20. According to police, the suspects were linked to three separate incidents involving 21 migrants packed into three cars. In one case, a suspect allegedly attempted to flee a police checkpoint by speeding away with seven migrants inside the vehicle, but was later intercepted and detained.
With Reuters and dpa