Thirty-seven migrants rescued south of Crete

Thirty-seven migrants disembarked on the island of Crete on Friday morning after being rescued by a commercial vessel. 

They were picked up by a tanker on Thursday evening, approximately 83 miles off the southern coast of Crete. 

Local authorities have transferred them to Iraklio for processing. 

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