Greece: 43 migrants rescued near Lesbos

Three patrol boats were still searching for a woman who survivors had reported as missing, the Greek coast guard said on Thursday (September 7).

It also announced that in addition to the people rescued near Lesbos, 50 other migrants were also saved from small boats in the eastern Aegean in the previous 24 hours, involving three separate incidents.

In separate developments, Greece’s coast guard on Tuesday also found a group of 14 migrants on the shore of a tiny island in the eastern Aegean Sea.

The five men, six women and three children were found on the remote island of Farmakonisi, along with the body of one man. They were all taken to the nearby island of Leros.

Meanwhile on Friday, the non-profit Aegean Boat Report organization said that it was contacted by a group of 18 migrants who had landed on the uninhabited island in the early morning hours. Aegean Boat Report said it informed the Greek authorities, but later lost contact with the group.

Read more: Lesbos: At least four people dead after migrant boat sinks

Dealing with smugglers

Authorities meanwhile arrested one man off the eastern island of Kos, on suspicion of having smuggled a group of migrants over from Turkey in a speedboat. The island is located particularly close to the Turkish mainland.

A coast guard statement explained that the suspect had rammed a patrol boat as he was trying to escape to Turkish waters. He was detained after his boat sank.

In a bid to curb migration, Greece has also stepped up its efforts to apprehend people smugglers. Each year, large numbers of people are arrested on such charges. 

However, human rights organizations have accused Greek authorities of not paying close attention in these cases, often viewing the migrants who are given the role of steering the small vessels as smugglers as well.

Read more: Greece and Italy step up cooperation on migrants

Greece: still a popular migrant destination

Greece remains a chief entry point for refugees and migrants hoping to enter the EU, with most coming from Asian and African countries.

However, in recent years, arrival numbers in Italy and Spain have eclipsed Greece, as the Greek coast guard has beefed up its surveillance of the Aegean Sea.

Nearly 20,000 irregular migrants have nevertheless arrived in Greece to date this year, according to United Nations data, compared to 19,000 for all of 2022.

Read more: Hundreds of migrants cross Mediterranean Sea over the weekend

with AP