(Athens) One hundred and seventeen migrants from Libya were rescued on Sunday in Crete by the coast guard, who arrested three suspected smugglers, Greek authorities announced.
84 men, two women and 31 minors were on board a 10-meter-long boat moored in a bay in the south of the island of Crete, used by fishermen.
The migrants said they left Tobruk, Libya, on Thursday to head towards Italy, Greek authorities said in a statement.
Along with Italy, Greece is on the front line in welcoming migrants seeking to enter the European Union by crossing the Mediterranean from Turkey or North Africa.
Some 45,000 asylum seekers arrived in Greece last year, most of them landing on islands near the Turkish coast. According to the United Nations, this is the highest number in four years.
In June 2023, a dilapidated boat capsized and sank off the coast of Pylos, in the Peloponnese, leading to the drowning of 82 people, while hundreds more were missing.
Forty of the survivors have filed a class-action lawsuit against Greek authorities, alleging they failed to take appropriate action before the sinking.