Forty-two migrants rescued off Crete Island, ongoing search for 3 more

Some 42 migrants were rescued 27 miles southwest of Crete island in the early hours of Thursday, while there is an ongoing search and rescue operation for three more.

At some point on Wednesday night, the migrants’ boat sent a distress call to the Italian authorities, who then informed Greece. 

According to the Greek Coast Guard, 40 migrants were saved by nearby boats, while two others were rescued by a Hellenic Armed Forces helicopter. They were all transferred to Crete island. 

In total, there were 45 migrants on the boat. At the moment, there is an ongoing search and rescue operation by the Greek Coast Guard and the Hellenic Airforce for the three missing migrants.

Crete and Gavdos have seen an increase in migrant arrivals during the past months, with the Greek Coast Guard estimating that 1,186 asylum seekers arrived on the two islands between January and March 2024.