Greece rescues 65 migrants in two operations south of Crete and the Peloponnese

Greek authorities, coordinated by the Unified Coordination Centre for Search and Rescue (EKSED) and assisted by FRONTEX, carried out two sea rescues in the past 24 hours. In the first operation a FRONTEX aircraft spotted a raft with about 42 migrants 56 nautical miles south‑south‑east of Ierapetra; a commercial vessel flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda transferred them to the port of Ierapetra for processing. The second rescue took place 70 nautical miles south‑west of the Tainaro peninsula, where a FRONTEX ship located a raft carrying 23 migrants and brought them safely to Kalamata.

Both missions were completed without injuries under good weather conditions. The incidents underscore a continued surge in irregular migration toward southern Greek coasts, prompting authorities to remain on heightened alert throughout the summer season. Earlier that day, separate patrols detected 143 migrants across five rafts in the waters around Crete and Gavdos, who were later taken to the ports of Kaloi Limenes, Ierapetra, Palaiochora and Agia Galini.