Crisis in Greece as 'over 753 migrants' rescued in just hours near holiday hotspots

Migrants rescued at sea off Crete coast prepare to disembark from a coast guard vessel on Friday (Image: Getty)

Greek authorities have rescued in recent days hundreds of migrants from waters around two of its southern islands. Local reports say 840 migrants were rescued within 24 hours near Crete and Gavdos, while the Unified Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (ESRC) and with the assistance of the Greek coast guard said to have provided assistance to more than 753 migrants in a series of large scale operations on the weekend.

The biggest operation involved more than 430 migrants who were 25 nautical miles off Gavdos. The migrants were reportedly on board an overcrowded fishing vessel when they were rescued. Greece is a popular route for migrants looking to make their way into Europe and the country has been looking to crack down on the illegal crossings.

Migrants rescued in waters off Crete wait in the port of Agia Galini to be transferred on Friday (Image: Getty)

Athens recently announced plans to send warships to international waters in the region following a surge in crossings from Libya to Crete — a more perilous route than the more frequently used passage between Turkey and nearby Greek islands.

Gavdos, Greece’s most southern island, is immediately south of Crete — the biggest and most populous Greek island which is also one of the most visited by tourists.

Other rescues included 67 people pulled from a boat 30 nautical miles off Gavdos and 73 rescued 32 nautical miles south of the Crete village of Kaloi Limenes, the Greek Kathimerini newspaper reports.

Migrants on a Greek coast guard vessel last week (Image: Getty)

The Greek coastguard said on Sunday there had been five separate rescue incidents since Friday, according to the Reuters news agency.

The EU’s Frontex border agency also rescued 96 migrants from two boats near Crete.

The migrants were all taken to Crete after being rescued, reports say.

It appears some migrant boats did come directly ashore over the weekend.

One video shared by a Greek outlet shows a large group of migrants jumping from a crammed boat onto a tourist beach in southern Crete.

It comes weeks after more than 400 migrants landed on Gavdos.

Gavdos lies directly between Crete and Libya, making it an opportune landing point for people smugglers.

Greece’s foreign minister travelled to Benghazi on Sunday for talks on migration with Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the military commander in eastern Libya.

At a conference in Athens on Tuesday last week, the EU’s commissioner for migration said Europe will take a “firm” approach with authorities in Libya following a rise in illegal migration across the Mediterranean.

Commissioner Magnus Brunner is set to visit Libya this week alongside officials from Greece, Italy and Malta seeking tougher measures from Libyan authorities to prevent migrant boats leaving for Europe.