Greek authorities rescue 23 people near Lesbos and warn pressure on migration routes is rising

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities say 23 migrants were rescued from a dinghy near the island of Lesbos in the eastern Aegean Sea on Tuesday. Rescue teams also recovered two more bodies after a boat carrying migrants sank off of Gavdos over the weekend, bringing the death toll to seven.

Greece’s government says migrant arrivals have increased by up to 35% since fall 2023. While most travel the short distance between the Turkish mainland and nearby Greek islands, a larger number now make the perilous 300-kilometer (200-mile) journey from the Libyan coast to the islands of Crete and Gavdos, officials said.

On Sunday, some 39 migrants were rescued from the sinking vessel while three other rescue operations saved more than 150 others. Dozens remain missing, based on survivors’ accounts, the coast guard said.

Migration Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos said pressure on eastern Mediterranean migration routes was likely to continue through 2025.

“The extensive geopolitical unrest in our broader region – where three wars are raging, the most recent in Syria – combined with the climate crisis, is forcing many to abandon their homes simply to survive,” Panagiotopoulos said, speaking in parliament during a budget debate that ended late Sunday.

“All these factors are leading to a significant increase in migration and refugee flows since late 2023,” he said.

The number of migrants traveling illegally to Greece is expected to top 60,000 this year, with Syrians making up the largest number, followed by Afghans, Egyptians, Eritreans and Palestinians, according to government data.

Following the fall of Syrian leader Bashar Assad this month, Greece has temporarily suspended issuing final asylum decisions for Syrian applicants as the main basis for their claims – persecution by the Assad regime – may no longer apply. The asylum service is still accepting applications, but decisions are on hold pending a reassessment of conditions in Syria, according to government officials.

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By DEREK GATOPOULOS
Associated Press