ATHENS, Greece (AP) — More than 230 migrants crossing the Mediterranean in small boats from North Africa reached Greece’s southern island of Crete over the weekend, Greek authorities said Monday.
The arrivals, in six separate crossings, far outnumbered the few dozen migrants who took the more common route from Turkey to the nearby eastern Aegean islands over the weekend.
Crete has emerged this year as a significant destination for migrants willing to risk the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean from Libya. Greece’s government is considering setting up state-funded migrant processing centers on the island of about 625,000 people to assist local authorities.
The crossing from Libya takes at least two days, while a fast smuggling boat from Turkey can reach the eastern islands in under an hour — provided it can dodge frequent coast guard patrols.
Greek authorities say they are bracing for a potential increase in arrivals of refugees fleeing fighting in Lebanon and Gaza.
Officials said the migrants reaching Crete over the weekend mostly reported being from Egypt, Sudan or Bangladesh.
Greece’s coast guard said the biggest single arrival involved 55 people picked up by a merchant ship late Saturday after their boat ran into trouble south of Crete.
In all cases, the migrants who reached Crete said they had departed from the eastern Libyan port of Tobruk and paid smuggling gangs up to 9,000 euros ($9,800) each for their passage. A dozen people on the boats were arrested on suspicion of belonging to smuggling rings.
About 100 more migrants reached Crete on Friday.
Greece is a key entry point for people from the Middle East, Africa and Asia seeking a better life in the European Union. Up to now, the vast majority have crossed over in small boats from Turkey.
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