ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A group of 75 migrants crossing from North Africa to Europe have been rescued from a crippled boat south of the island CreteThe Greek authorities said this on Friday.
The coast guard said the migrants, believed to have left eastern Libya, were picked up in the Mediterranean Sea by a merchant ship after issuing a distress call. Their nationalities were not immediately known. The ship, accompanied by a coast guard patrol boat, took them to a port in southern Crete.
The long journey from Libya to Crete has emerged this year as a new route for people from Africa, the Middle East and Asia looking for a better life in Europe. People who completed the crossing told Greek authorities they paid smuggling gangs up to 9,000 euros ($9,800) per person for the crossing.
According to the United Nations refugee agency, more than 3,500 people have crossed so far this year, out of a total of 42,000 who entered Greece illegally – with most reaching islands in the eastern Aegean Sea. in small boats from Turkey.
The crossing from Libya takes at least two days, while a fast smuggling boat from Turkey can reach the eastern islands in just over an hour, provided it can avoid frequent coast guard patrols.
Italy remains the top European destination for illegal migration, with more than 51,000 arrivals to date, and is followed by Spain.
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