More than 1,200 migrants arrive in Crete amid influx from Libya
At least 1,200 migrants have been detained in the Greek islands of Crete and the nearby islet of Gavdos over the past three days following a surge in arrivals from Libya.
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00:00At least 1,200 migrants have been detained in the Greek islands of Crete and the nearby islet of Gavdos over the past three days following a surge in arrival from Libya.
00:13Multiple boats were intercepted off Crete's southern coast from Saturday through Monday, prompting regional officials to request additional government assistance.
00:22Migrants typically make the 350-kilometre journey to Crete in unseaworthy boats of unhastily constructed to survive a single voyage or abandon vessels modified in scrapyards.
00:37Gavdos, which is a tiny island south of Crete, has been overwhelmed by arrivals.
00:43Boats and dinges remain washed up on its pebble beaches, many of them accessible only on foot.
00:48For years, the European Union has been funding, training and equipping the Libyan Coast Guard to prevent smugglers from transporting migrants and refugees from Europe in makeshift boats.
01:02However, the Coast Guard has faced repeated accusations of mistreatment of asylum seekers, leading many NGOs to denounce the policy.
01:11Under international maritime law, people rescued at sea should be disembarked at a safe port.
01:16And the UN does not consider Libya a secure port.
