Greece rescues hundreds of migrants over weekend

7/7/2025 6:06

Greece has rescued hundreds

of migrants off its southern islands of Gavdos and Crete in five

separate incidents since Friday, its coastguard said on Sunday.



More than 430 migrants were spotted and rescued about 25

nautical miles off Gavdos, Greece's southernmost island, on

Sunday, the coastguard said in a statement.



In a separate incident, also on Sunday, the European Union's

Frontex border agency rescued 96 migrants on board two boats off

Crete, the coastguard said. The migrants are now being taken to

Crete, Greece's largest and most populous island.



Sea arrivals from northeastern Libya of migrants trying to

cross to Europe have surged in recent months. They mainly come

from the Middle East and North Africa, including nationals from

war-torn Sudan and citizens of Egypt and Bangladesh.



Last month Athens said it would deploy two frigates near

Libyan territorial waters to help stem the flow. It also urged

Libya to cooperate more closely with Greece and the EU to stop

migrants sailing from there or turn them back before they exit

Libyan territorial waters.



In another incident on Sunday, a Greek media outlet

published footage showing dozens of migrants jumping off a speed

boat into the water before reaching the shores of southern

Crete.



Greece and Libya have been trying to mend relations strained

by an accord signed in 2019 between the Libyan government and

Turkey.



Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis travelled to

Benghazi on Sunday to discuss migration with eastern Libyan

military commander Khalifa Haftar.



"We will continue our undisturbed relationship... and we

hope that in the near future we will have tangible results for

the progress of our relations," Gerapetritis was quoted by his

ministry as saying after meeting Haftar.