Greek port police have rescued some 520 migrants aboard a fishing vessel off the coast of Gavdos, a small island south of Crete, the Government of Greece reported.
They will be transferred to Lavrion, a port near Athens, according to Greek authorities.
The migrants were found 17 nautical miles south of Gavdos, following an extensive search operation, according to the coastguard. Their nationalities have not been specified.
Over 2,000 migrants have been rescued near Gavdos and Crete in recent days by Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, and the Greek port police.
Greek authorities say these numbers reflect a “peak” in arrivals. Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis highlighted the issue on television, describing the migration flow in the south of the country as “massive, continuous, and increasing.”
More than 7,300 migrants have arrived in Crete and Gavdos since the start of the year, compared to 4,935 in 2022.
While islands in the northeast Aegean, such as Lesbos, have reception camps, Crete and Gavdos do not, prompting local authorities to continually urge the government to address the situation.
Greece raised this issue with its European partners at the last European Union summit in Brussels in late June, preparing a mission to Libya for discussions with Libyan authorities.
However, on Tuesday, European Commissioner Magnus Brunner and three ministers from Greece, Italy, and Malta were ordered to leave shortly after arriving in Benghazi.
