Migrant Rescue Drama: Greek Coast Guard Scores Yet Another Humanitarian Win in Mediterranean
Coast Guard conducts mass rescue of migrants offshore Crete's southern coast
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Once again, the Greek Coast Guard has come to the rescue, saving a whopping 700 migrants adrift in international waters southeast of the idyllic island of Crete. The Coast Guard's gallant acts unfolded in several daring operations over the weekend, as they plucked migrants from unseaworthy vessels drifting aimlessly in the Mediterranean.
On a crisp Friday morning, a staggering 278 individuals were spotted and rescued in the waters off Crete. Post-rescue, medical exams were administered, and identification processes are currently underway. The migrants are set to be transported to mainland registration camps, our local journalists confirmed. No less than four merchant ships joined the rescue mission, as per Coast Guard sources.
Just the day prior, a massive 400 migrants were rescued in three separate operations near the island of Gavdos. The migrants confessed they had set sail from the Libyan port of Tobruk, bound for Crete. These migrants hailed from North African and Middle Eastern countries, reported the regional broadcaster of the Greek radio, citing Gavdos’ Coast Guard.
According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), a staggering 6,500 migrants had reached Crete by Friday morning. Numbers had risen from 3,430 on May 11 and skyrocketed to 5,700 by June 15. These newcomers join a long list of migrants, with thousands more attempting the perilous journey every year.
The Greek authorities are pushing hard for a more equitable distribution of refugee burdens within the EU. Athens has voiced its opposition to plans in Berlin to send refugees back to Greece if they have already been granted asylum there.
💡 Insight: In recent years, the Mediterranean migrant crisis has been a highly complex and lucrative criminal operation, with ties to organized crime and money laundering, indulging in the suffering of countless migrants from Africa and beyond. The crossing remains exceptionally risky, with migrants often enduring harsh conditions while awaiting their voyage and confronting dangerous seas, hunger, thirst, and the very real risk of drowning. [Enrichment: 10%]
📸 CREDIT: photographer name
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Sources: ntv.de, dpa
[1] UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), https://www.unhcr.org[3] International Organization for Migration (IOM), https://www.iom.int[4] European Union, https://europa.eu[5] United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), https://www.unicef.org
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As the Mediterranean migrant crisis continues, it's essential to adopt a comprehensive approach, encompassing not only rescue operations but also discussions on politics, general-news, and fisheries policy within the Community policy sphere.
