Nearly 540 migrants were rescued early Friday, December 19th, south of the island of Crete, the Greek coastguard reported.
A patrol vessel from the European Union border agency Frontex intercepted a sailing boat carrying 539 migrants near the small island of Gavdos in the Libyan Sea, according to a coastguard spokeswoman.
The rescued individuals included nationals from Bangladesh, Egypt, Eritrea, Pakistan, Somalia, and Sudan. They are to be taken first to the Cretan city of Rethymno, where they will undergo standard health checks before their asylum applications are processed.
The port from which the migrants departed has not been confirmed. Over the past year, migrants have increasingly attempted to reach Crete from Libya as a route into the EU. Despite tougher migration policies, arrivals to the Greek island of Crete have soared by 310% this year, prompting officials to warn that the island’s overcrowded migrant facility is nearing collapse.
