FALCON POWERS – The Greek coast guard said on Thursday that Greece has rescued 42 migrants off the island of Crete and is searching for three believed to be missing after their boat sent a distress signal while sailing.
A coast guard official, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained that commercial ships and a Greek Navy helicopter rescued the migrants about 27 nautical miles southwest of Crete. The official said it was unclear what happened to the migrants’ boat and that the rescue operation is ongoing to search for the missing.
The island of Crete and its smaller neighbor Gavdos, the southernmost point of Europe, have seen an increase in migrants attempting to reach Europe from Libya in recent months.
The Greek government has pledged to allocate funds and personnel to assist the islands with limited resources in dealing with these situations.
Since 2015, Greece has been a preferred transit country for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia seeking to reach European Union countries, with nearly a million people arriving on its islands, leading to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Thousands of others have also perished at sea.
Until recently, migrants had favored the eastern islands near Turkey over Crete and Gavdos.
