Dozens of illegal immigrants were rescued from a leaking boat in Turkey’s territorial waters following a joint operation yesterday morning by the Greek and Turkish coast guards in the eastern Aegean.

Greece’s Merchant Marine Ministry said the boat with some 70 passengers was located in Turkish waters near the Greek islet of Farmakonisi following an air and sea search. The operation was launched after a man phoned the coast guard to report a migrant-smuggling ship in distress in the area. Authorities in Turkey were notified, and a Turkish patrol boat safely evacuated all the immigrants. There were no reports concerning their nationality or state of health.

The uninhabited islet of Farmakonisi, northeast of Leros in the Dodecanese, is a popular destination for migrant smugglers. Thousands of economic migrants illegally enter Greece through Turkey every year.