Greece: 94 migrants rescued off Lesvos
The Greek coast guard has rescued 37 migrants and refugees from a rubber dinghy off Lesvos island in the eastern Aegean, according to reports Friday.
The migrants were safely transferred to Skala Sykamnias, a small seaside village on the northern coast of the island, the coast guard said.
Also Friday, the crew of a vessel belonging to the European Union’s border monitoring agency Frontex rescued 57 migrants from an inflatable dinghy off Lesvos.
The migrants were transferred to the port of island capital Mytilini.
Although arrivals from Turkey to the islands of the eastern Aegean are a fraction of those at the peak of the crisis, they have picked up in recent weeks.
According to recent media reports, the deal signed between the EU and Ankara in March 2016 to crack down on human trafficking over the Aegean is hanging in the balance as several countries are refusing to pay for it, insisting that the European Commission cover the next tranche of 3 billion euros in funding pledged to Turkey.
