500 asylum seekers rescued by Greek coastguard

ATHENS: Greece’s coastguard on Thursday said nearly 500 asylum seekers rescued in a dramatic operation this week off the island of Crete had been temporarily transferred to a ferry for processing.

The migrants – including 128 boys and nine girls – were on board a derelict fishing boat that issued a distress call late on Monday whilst sailing southwest of Crete.

Because of bolstered patrols by the Greek coastguard and EU border agency Frontex in the Aegean Sea, migrant smugglers embark increasingly on a longer and more perilous route south of Crete, Greek officials say.

The group of 483 includes Syrians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Palestinians and Sudanese, a coastguard spokeswoman told AFP.

“The operation is proceeding but it is slow owing to the large number of people,” she added.

“We also need to take testimony from them.”

Several nearby vessels responded Monday and a Greek navy frigate was dispatched, but near-gale winds made it impossible to rescue the migrants at sea.

It took half a day before the 25metre (82-foot) fishing boat could be safely towed to the small Crete coastal town of Palaiochora on Tuesday.

In a statement yesterday, the coastguard said the asylum seekers had been transferred to a Greek ferry on Wednesday evening.

The agency was not immediately able to say how long they would stay there.

Athens has said it would immediately ask fellow EU states to share out the large group.