Another four small boats carrying migrants reached southern Crete Friday, authorities said, amid constantly high migratory flows from northern Africa to the southern Greek island.
The Coast Guard said that by early afternoon a total 163 people had been rescued at sea off Crete or made it to land. All had set out from eastern Libya, from which some 6,000 people have already risked the long and hazardous Mediterranean Sea crossing to Crete.
The large number of arrivals is worrying officials in Athens, who have warned of an impending crackdown without announcing any specific action plan.
People crossing by boat from Libya tend to be from countries that usually produce economic migrants rather than refugees – mostly Egyptians and Bangladeshis – although there are also many from violence-ravaged south Sudan whom smuggling gangs often engage to steer the small vessels.
On Friday, authorities said they had arrested two teenagers aged 17 and 16 from south Sudan who had allegedly been at the helm of migrant boats that arrived Thursday. They faced charges including facilitating illegal entry to Greece and exposing their passengers to danger.
