File photo.
A total of 38 undocumented migrants were rescued from a dinghy by a Greek Coast Guard patrol vessel off Gavdos, Greece’s southernmost island, on Wednesday, authorities said.
The migrants were transported to Souda, near Hania on Crete, for registration and temporary accommodation.
The rescue comes amid a continued rise in migrant arrivals on Crete and Gavdos, the Greek islands closest to North Africa. Both have seen a sharp increase in migrant landings in recent years, with many vessels departing from Libya.
Earlier this month, Parliament approved legislation aimed at speeding up the deportation of rejected asylum seekers and allowing their transfer to so-called “return hubs” outside the European Union, subject to bilateral agreements with third countries.
