Greek coast guard rescues 77 migrants off Chios
Greek authorities say coast guards have rescued dozens of migrants found trying to make their way from the nearby Turkish coast to Greek islands in the eastern Aegean Sea.
The Coast Guard said it rescued 77 migrants found in two boats in separate incidents near the island of Chios before dawn Wednesday. All were picked up by patrol boats and transferred to the island’s main port. No information was immediately available on the migrants’ nationalities.
Greece is a major entry point for people, mostly from war-ravaged countries in the Middle East and Africa, seeking a better life in the European Union. They typically pay smuggling gangs to clandestinely ferry them to the Greek islands, frequently risking their lives in unseaworthy craft. [AP]
