Greek Coast Guard Rescues 150 People Attempting Dangerous Journey Across Aegean Sea

 Greek authorities have successfully rescued over 150 people, including numerous children, who were attempting to cross from Turkey to the eastern Aegean Sea islands in small boats, according to the coast guard. The rise in crossings to Greece within the European Union is attributed to individuals from the Middle East and Africa striving for a better life in the more prosperous 27-country bloc. On Friday alone, 101 people were retrieved from boats near the island of Lesbos in three separate incidents, with an additional 53 individuals discovered on two vessels off Samos.

All those rescued were subsequently transported to reception centers designated for asylum-seekers. The coast guard also reported a further 35 individuals being recovered from two smaller boats off Lesbos the previous night. This brings the total number of rescues carried out on Wednesday and Thursday to nearly 500. Although migration to Greece has increased, Italy remains the primary entry point in the European Union for migrants, with over 113,000 arrivals recorded this year. Spain closely follows Italy with more than 21,000 arrivals, as stated by United Nations data. In comparison, Greece has received approximately 17,300 arrivals so far this year.