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ATHENS: Greek coastguard authorities have rescued 202 migrants in separate operations off the coast of Crete within less than 48 hours, including more than 70 Bangladeshis, according to Greek media reports.
The migrants, who had travelled by boat from the Libyan coast, included nationals of Bangladesh, Sudan and Egypt.
Citing the Greek newspaper Dimokratia, Middle East Monitor reported that a Frontex aircraft spotted a boat carrying 40 migrants off Ierapetra in southeastern Crete on Thursday morning.
Following the alert, the Greek Coast Guard and a fishing vessel reached the area and rescued all 40 people aboard. They were taken to the port of Ierapetra, where authorities began the process of verifying their identities.
Several hours earlier, Greek authorities had rescued 112 migrants from two separate boats.
The first boat was carrying 56 people, including 31 Sudanese and 25 Bangladeshis. The second boat also had 56 migrants on board, of whom 47 were Bangladeshis and nine were Egyptian nationals.
With the additional 40 migrants rescued later, the total number of people rescued in the operations rose to 202 within less than 48 hours.
The rescued migrants have been transferred to a temporary accommodation facility at the port of Heraklion, where they are being provided with shelter while authorities process their cases.
The recent arrivals have added to pressure on local authorities in Crete, where the number of migrants reaching the island has increased in recent months.
Crete has emerged as an important route for migrants attempting to reach Europe by sea from Libya. Greek authorities have therefore been carrying out regular search-and-rescue operations in waters around the island.
The latest rescues highlight the growing flow of migrants using the central Mediterranean and eastern Mediterranean routes in an attempt to reach Europe, often undertaking dangerous sea journeys in overcrowded and unseaworthy boats.