Article Author:
Associated Press
ATHENS, GREECE (AP) — Greek officials say another sailing vessel carrying dozens of migrants arrived at Kythera on Thursday. - Seekers trying to reach the European Union.
The Greek Coast Guard initially reported that about 70 people were on board the boat that landed on the west coast of Kythera. Their nationalities and where they sailed from were not immediately clear.
Two of her other yachts arrived at the island on Wednesday. The first ship, which ran aground on the island's south coast, had a crew of 97, including 93 from Afghanistan, three from Turkey and one from Pakistan, officials said.
Passengers made it to shore under their own power and no injuries or missing persons were reported. The Coast Guard said Thursday that the boat set sail from Turkey's Cesme region and that the group included 55 children, three of whom were on board, aged 30, 29 and 17. He was arrested on suspicion of immigration smuggling.
A few hours later, another boat carrying 73 people (62 Iraqis, 9 Iranians and 2 Russians) was escorted by the Coast Guard to a small port on the southern island of Kythera. arrived, officials said.
Located at the southern tip of the Peloponnese, Kythera is no destination for thousands of people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Most people looking to join the European Union cross from the Turkish coast to the nearby Greek East Aegean islands.
But with Greek authorities stepping up patrols in the area and reports of new arrivals being deported to Turkey without granting asylum applications, more people are are going directly to Italy by a longer and more dangerous route.
Greek authorities deny that they practice illegal summary deportations of asylum seekers.
—— Follow coverage of AP's global migration at
https://apnews.com/hub/migration
