Latest news with #migrants
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Greek coast guard says over 600 migrants rescued from 2 fishing boats
The first fishing boat, carrying 352 people, was spotted overnight about 55 kilometers south of the tiny island of GavdosThe second was found 90 kilometers south of the island of Crete with 278 people on boardATHENS: More than 600 migrants were rescued overnight and early Friday from two wooden fishing boats found sailing miles (kilometers) from the southernmost part of Greece, the country's coast guard first fishing boat, carrying 352 people, was spotted overnight about 30 nautical miles (35 miles, 55 kilometers) south of the tiny island of Gavdos, the coast guard said. Passengers were rescued by a ship from the European border patrol agency FRONTEX, aided by a coast guard patrol boat and four other second was found 50 nautical miles (about 60 miles, 90 kilometers) south of the island of Crete with 278 people on board. The passengers were picked up by a passing Portuguese-flagged cargo ship. In both cases, the migrants were transported to was no immediate information on the nationalities of those on board the two fishing two boats carrying migrants were located in the same area on Thursday, the coast guard said. One, carrying 73 men, was found south of Gavdos and another with 26 people, including one woman and three minors, was found near the coast of southern coast guard said those on the smaller boat told authorities they had set sail the previous evening from Tobruk in Libya, and had each paid smugglers either 4,000 euros ($5,500) for their passage to Greece. Two Sudanese teenagers, one aged 16 and the other 19, were arrested on suspicion of migrant smuggling after other passengers identified them as having been operating the has been on one of the preferred routes into the European Union for people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia for decades. Arrivals from neighboring Turkiye to the east and the Libyan coast to the south spiked last year, with Greece recording more than 60,000 people arriving — the vast majority by sea — in 2024, compared to just over 48,000 the previous year, according to figures from the UN refugee agency. As of June 15 this year, a total of 16,290 arrivals were recorded, with more than 14,600 of those by authorities closely patrolling the eastern sea border with Turkiye to prevent migrant boats reaching nearby Greek islands, smugglers appear to be increasingly opting for the much longer and riskier Mediterranean Sea crossing from the north African coast to the southern tip of Greece, using larger boats into which they can cram more people.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Urgent warning issued over growing number of migrants paying huge sums to enter UK aboard yachts
Border Force lacks the resources to deal with an increasing number of migrants coming to Britain illegally on yachts, motorboats and trawlers, officials have warned. Growing numbers of migrants are entering the country irregularly by private vessels rather than aboard small boats, a borders trade union said. Lucy Moreton, of the ISU union which represents Border Force staff, said: 'What we are seeing more of now is small yachts being used to transport people. 'They can start from the Brittany coast in France and then sail into one of the small ports around the UK or get dropped off in the water.' The Daily Mail reported last week how a £70,000 six-berth yacht, Tacoma, was hired at a French marina by a man who claimed to be Austrian. He told the owners he planned a pleasure cruise along the Brittany coast – but then headed for Cornwall. The £70,000 six-berth yacht, Tacoma, was hired at a French marina by a man who claimed to be Austrian. He told the owners he planned a pleasure cruise along the Brittany coast – but then headed for Cornwall - with 17 Albanians aboard The Tacoma's owners – monitoring it on a tracker - alerted the UK Border Force who pounced on the yacht as it reached the mouth of the Helford River, near Falmouth, on April 13. Hiding inside the cabin were 17 Albanian migrants, including one woman, hoping to slip illegally into Britain. Ms Moreton said: 'It is now more of a growing issue as the small boat route becomes more and more challenging. 'It's something we have started monitoring more closely, but we simply don't have the staff to do everything.' She went on: 'The problem is, most of the ports in the UK do not have a Border Force officer working at them so it comes down to local police forces and members of the public. 'And the system of boat ownership is very hard to monitor, small boats have transponders switched on to avoid getting hit by bigger boats but they can always switch them off. 'All the unmanned ports have posters which say 'if you see anything which looks suspicious call this number', but that's about it when it comes to security. 'What's happening with small yachts now speaks to the desperation of the people trying to cross the Channel and the pull the UK has.' Fees paid to smuggling gangs to enter the UK on a yacht will be far higher than the amounts charged for a place in a dangerous and ovcercrowded dinghy. Entering Britain clandestinely in a yachts or other small vessel will also be attractive to foreign nationals with a criminal record. Those who have previously made a failed asylum claim here, or have been deported, may also wish to avoid detection by the authorities. Albanian nationals, such as those found aboard the Tacoma, face fast-track removal measures back to their home country under an agreement signed by former home secretary Priti Patel in 2022. In another case in September last year, nine Iranian passengers were caught illegally attempting to enter the UK on board a pleasure boat near Brixham, Devon. Some criminal gangs have been caught in the act attempting to use yachts to cross the Channel by the National Crime Agency (NCA), dubbed 'Britain's FBI'. A Georgian national, Igor Romanovi, was jailed in France in 2023 following an investigation by the NCA and French authorities into an organised crime group suspected of using pleasure boats to smuggle migrants across the Channel. A boat operated by the group was involved in a smuggling run which saw 11 migrants brought to shore in Rye, East Sussex in February 2022. And, in 2021 a different gang was jailed for planning to smuggle 69 Albanian migrants into the UK on a fishing vessel. They had planned to bring in 50 more every week. Small ports and airfields were first identified as a potential weakness in Britain's border security measures as long ago as 2002. Lord Carlile of Berriew KC, then the government's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, warned they were the 'soft underbelly' of Britain's war against terrorism. Concerns about the vulnerability of Britain's coastline were raised in two reports in 2010 and 2011 by John Vine, the then independent inspector of borders. Both found small ports were at risk from people smuggling. The warnings were repeated by terror watchdog David Anderson in 2017. An NCA spokesman confirmed the 'clandestine manner' of entering Britain may appeal to those with criminal pasts. 'We have seen cases where organised crime groups have used larger maritime vessels, such as fishing boats and yachts, to facilitate entry for migrants,' he said. 'Often these are used by those who may be prepared to pay more to avoid contact with law enforcement, in contrast to small boats where migrants and their smugglers seek contact to enter the asylum system. 'The NCA, alongside our law enforcement partners, have undertaken a number of operations which have seen people involved in this form of people smuggling arrested and prosecuted. 'Bringing people to the UK in this way remains dangerous and also risks our border security. 'Tackling organised immigration crime in all its forms remains a priority for the NCA, and we would ask anyone who lives or works around the coast or in a maritime environment to report suspicious activity to the police.' A Home Office spokesman said: 'We will stop at nothing to dismantle vile people-smuggling gangs, which is why our new maritime directorate within Border Force is explicitly focused on general maritime security to uphold the integrity of the border. 'Through close collaboration across agencies, Border Force will have access to better intelligence, joint operational activity and better engagement with international partners. 'This will ultimately enhance our approach to dealing with irregular migration, including illegal activity involving yachts, and further help to tackle people smuggling gangs.' end
Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
French police ‘will never stop us', say Channel migrants
Channel migrants have vowed that they will 'never give up' on trying to reach Britain despite a looming French crackdown on illegal crossings. French ministers are set to change maritime rules to allow border police, gendarmes and coastguard vessels to stop boats from leaving waters within 300 metres of their coastline. The new strategy will see 'taxi boats' packed with migrants intercepted in shallow waters off Channel beaches. It will probably mean that migrants trying to clamber aboard are pushed back onto dry land by officers armed with shields and batons. However, migrants told The Telegraph that they would 'never give up' trying to reach the UK on small boats. Young men, teenagers and families with small children said they would try to find a way through to Britain, whatever new methods were adopted by the French. Waiting at a makeshift migrant camp on the edge of Loon-Plage, near the port of Dunkirk, was Jamal, a 24-year-old Sudanese man. He had made the two-month journey from North Africa to northern France by any method he could, including boat and horseback. 'If the police stop us in the water when we try to reach the boats, then we will go back to the beach the next day or the next week,' he said. 'We'll never give up.' Ali, a 27-year-old nursing assistant from Afghanistan, had a similar message for the French and British governments. 'Me and my friends are seeking asylum. As Azeris, we cannot express our ethnic identity in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over. It is terrible,' he said. 'That is why I hope the British will give us asylum. That's why we travelled here from Afghanistan. 'I agree people shouldn't be able to cross illegally – only refugees who really need asylum should be protected.' Ali and Jamal, along with their fellow migrants at the Grand-Synthe camp, have faced a heavier than normal police presence on the beach at nearby Gravelines. The beach, which is more than 1,000 yards long, has been a favourite pick-up point for people-smugglers operating 'taxi boats' over the past week. But early morning, patrols of the sands and surrounding dunes by French riot police ensured that no migrant boats left Gravelines on Friday. From before dawn, foot patrols with powerful torches swept the dunes for migrants who might be hidden. As the sun rose, officers patrolled the surrounding paths and roads leading to the beach through holiday homes and children's playgrounds. Detritus left behind by migrants who had recently managed to board boats could be seen piled high on the edge of the beach – trainers, bags, clothes and some identity documents. There was even a crutch left behind by one migrant who was seen earlier in the week using his remaining crutch to clamber into a boat with the help of fellow passengers. There are signs at Gravelines and elsewhere that French police are taking a more interventionist approach in the migrant crisis, in response to criticism by the British Government. In the past week, migrants emerging from the dunes have been sprayed with tear gas. All vehicles approaching Gravelines beach were searched by early morning police patrols on Thursday, with officers checking for any signs of hidden migrants or inflatable boats. Police are also using drones and light aircraft to spot boats along a 75-mile stretch of coastline. At one stage, a patrol van could be seen parked next to a memorial honouring the sacrifice of French and British marines who took part in repeated attempts to reconnoitre German coastal defences in the run up to D-Day – an echo of previous Anglo-French co-operation. But migrant aid charities have warned that the French and British governments will have 'blood on their hands' if police adopt new tactics of intercepting migrants in the waters off the coast. In the past seven days, 2,066 people have crossed the Channel using 33 small boats, with traffickers taking advantage of good weather to make the crossing. Last Friday alone, 919 made the crossing using 14 boats. That was followed by 489 on Tuesday and 244 on Wednesday. On Thursday morning, six French coastguard vessels took part in the rescue of a small group of migrants whose overladen dinghy had run into difficulties mid-way across the Channel. The dinghy had set off unnoticed from a beach close to the port of Calais. The people on board were handed over to the British authorities after being plucked from their boat. A Home Office spokesman said: 'We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security. 'The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay, and we will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.'
CTV News
5 hours ago
- CTV News
Greek coast guard says over 600 migrants rescued from 2 fishing boats
Frontex, foreground, and Greek coast guard vessels take part in a search and rescue operation off the coast on the northeastern Aegean Sea island of Lesbos, Greece, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Panagiotis Balaskas) ATHENS, Greece — More than 600 migrants were rescued overnight and early Friday from two wooden fishing boats found sailing kilometers from the southernmost part of Greece, the country's coast guard said. The first fishing boat, carrying 352 people, was spotted overnight about 30 nautical miles (35 miles, 55 kilometres) south of the tiny island of Gavdos, the coast guard said. Passengers were rescued by a ship from the European border patrol agency FRONTEX, aided by a coast guard patrol boat and four other vessels. The second was found 50 nautical miles (about 60 miles, 90 kilometres) south of the island of Crete with 278 people on board. The passengers were picked up by a passing Portuguese-flagged cargo ship. In both cases, the migrants were transported to Crete. There was no immediate information on the nationalities of those on board the two fishing boats. Another two boats carrying migrants were located in the same area on Thursday, the coast guard said. One, carrying 73 men, was found south of Gavdos and another with 26 people, including one woman and three minors, was found near the coast of southern Crete. The coast guard said those on the smaller boat told authorities they had set sail the previous evening from Tobruk in Libya, and had each paid smugglers either 4,000 euros (US$5,500) for their passage to Greece. Two Sudanese teenagers, one aged 16 and the other 19, were arrested on suspicion of migrant smuggling after other passengers identified them as having been operating the boat. Greece has been on one of the preferred routes into the European Union for people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia for decades. Arrivals from neighboring Turkey to the east and the Libyan coast to the south spiked last year, with Greece recording more than 60,000 people arriving — the vast majority by sea — in 2024, compared to just over 48,000 the previous year, according to figures from the U.N. refugee agency. As of June 15 this year, a total of 16,290 arrivals were recorded, with more than 14,600 of those by sea. With authorities closely patrolling the eastern sea border with Turkey to prevent migrant boats reaching nearby Greek islands, smugglers appear to be increasingly opting for the much longer and riskier Mediterranean Sea crossing from the north African coast to the southern tip of Greece, using larger boats into which they can cram more people. ___ Elena Becatoros, The Associated Press
Associated Press
6 hours ago
- Associated Press
Greek coast guard says over 600 migrants rescued from 2 fishing boats
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — More than 600 migrants were rescued overnight and early Friday from two wooden fishing boats found sailing miles (kilometers) from the southernmost part of Greece, the country's coast guard said. The first fishing boat, carrying 352 people, was spotted overnight about 30 nautical miles (35 miles, 55 kilometers) south of the tiny island of Gavdos, the coast guard said. Passengers were rescued by a ship from the European border patrol agency FRONTEX, aided by a coast guard patrol boat and four other vessels. The second was found 50 nautical miles (about 60 miles, 90 kilometers) south of the island of Crete with 278 people on board. The passengers were picked up by a passing Portuguese-flagged cargo ship. In both cases, the migrants were transported to Crete. There was no immediate information on the nationalities of those on board the two fishing boats. Another two boats carrying migrants were located in the same area on Thursday, the coast guard said. One, carrying 73 men, was found south of Gavdos and another with 26 people, including one woman and three minors, was found near the coast of southern Crete. The coast guard said those on the smaller boat told authorities they had set sail the previous evening from Tobruk in Libya, and had each paid smugglers either 4,000 euros ($5,500) for their passage to Greece. Two Sudanese teenagers, one aged 16 and the other 19, were arrested on suspicion of migrant smuggling after other passengers identified them as having been operating the boat. Greece has been on one of the preferred routes into the European Union for people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia for decades. Arrivals from neighboring Turkey to the east and the Libyan coast to the south spiked last year, with Greece recording more than 60,000 people arriving — the vast majority by sea — in 2024, compared to just over 48,000 the previous year, according to figures from the U.N. refugee agency. As of June 15 this year, a total of 16,290 arrivals were recorded, with more than 14,600 of those by sea. With authorities closely patrolling the eastern sea border with Turkey to prevent migrant boats reaching nearby Greek islands, smugglers appear to be increasingly opting for the much longer and riskier Mediterranean Sea crossing from the north African coast to the southern tip of Greece, using larger boats into which they can cram more people. ___ Follow AP's coverage of migration issues at
