Hundreds of migrants departing from Libya intercepted by Greece
On July 6th, Greece rescued over 430 migrants near its southern islands, most of whom the Greek and EU authorities believe departed from northeastern Libya, according to Libya Review.
The Greek coastguard reported that they rescued 430 migrants near the island of Gavdos, whilst in a separate incident, 96 migrants were found near the island of Crete by the EU Frontex Agency.
The Greek government also released footage of migrants jumping from a speedboat into the water before reaching Crete.
On July 2nd, Maghrebi reported on the deployment of two naval frigates by the Greek Navy, with the goal of blocking irregular migration through deterrence and surveillance.
This deployment and the rescue of hundreds of migrants on July 6th are part of Greece’s mission to lessen migration across the Mediterranean Sea in cooperation with Libya.
Also on July 6th, the Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis met to discuss the migration issue with Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the Libyan National Army aligned with the eastern government.
“We aim for steady and productive relations,” said Gerapetritis.
The northeastern coast of Libya is a key route for Africans who want to reach Europe, which the administrations in both western and eastern Libya, as well as nearby nations, have been cracking down on.
On April 7th, Maghrebi reported that the government in Tripoli had ordered ten humanitarian aid groups to close their offices, accusing them of enabling irregular migration into Libya.
Libya’s migration crisis has also been affected by the violent civil war in the neighbouring nation of Sudan, with thousands of refugees fleeing into Libya.
Greece, in particular, has repeatedly expressed worries about the increasing number of migrants using Libya as a transit point to Europe, and has urged closer cooperation with the government in both eastern and western Libya, according to Libya Review.
Most of the migrants rescued on July 6th were from Bangladesh and countries in the Middle East and North Africa, which are in the midst of conflicts.
Libya Review/Maghrebi
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