ATHENS: Greece’s coast guard on Monday said it had rescued around 230 asylum seekers near the island of Crete, after hundreds more landed over the weekend.
An EU border agency Frontex vessel initially spotted the migrants inside two inflatable boats off Gavdos, a small island southwest of Crete that has seen increased migrant traffic in recent months.
On Sunday, the Greek coast guard rescued over 600 asylum seekers in various operations in the area.
AFP pictures showed some of them landing near Agia Galini beach on the south of Crete, where many tourists were bathing.
According to the coast guard, 7,300 asylum seekers have reached Gavdos and Crete this year, compared to fewer than 5,000 last year.
Over 2,500 arrivals have been recorded since June alone.
With Gavdos lacking any significant accommodation facilities, all the migrants are either housed in municipal buildings or transferred to Crete.
The migrants are largely believed to be sailing from Libya, prompting a visit by Greece’s foreign minister George Gerapetritis to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar on Sunday.
Gerapetritis is also scheduled to hold talks with the UN-recognized government in Tripoli on July 15.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also raised the issue with EU counterparts in Brussels last month.
Mitsotakis has announced that two Greek navy ships will be deployed outside Libyan waters to stem the flow.
The North African country has remained deeply divided since the 2011 NATO-backed revolt that toppled and killed longtime leader Muammar Qaddafi.
