The first fishing boat, carrying 352 people, was spotted overnight about 30 nautical miles (35 miles, 55 kilometers) south of the tiny island of Gavdos, the coast guard said. Passengers were rescued by a ship from the European border patrol agency FRONTEX, aided by a coast guard patrol boat and four other vessels.
Migrant arrivals in Crete rose 179% compared to the same period last year, she noted. Between January 1 and June 5, 5,083 migrants landed in Crete – more than all of 2024.
The group includes 62 men from Pakistan, three from Sudan, and nine from Egypt.
A fishing boat carrying nearly 300 migrants to Europe safely reached the southern Greek island of Gavdos on Monday following a large rescue operation in the Mediterranean Sea, Greek authorities said.
