Greek authorities announced that 75 migrants attempting to reach Europe from North Africa were rescued from a stranded boat south of Crete. The migrants, believed to have departed from eastern Libya, sent a distress call before being picked up by a merchant vessel in the Mediterranean Sea. Their nationalities remain unconfirmed. The migrants are being escorted by a Greek coast guard patrol to a southern Crete port. This year, the journey from Libya to Crete has emerged as a new route for migrants from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia seeking better opportunities in Europe.
In a similar context, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced that it had facilitated the repatriation of 150 stranded Bangladeshi migrants from Libya. In a statement, the IOM said that repatriation was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli, as part of ongoing efforts to bring home migrants caught in dangerous and illegal migration routes. The migrants arrived in Dhaka aboard a chartered Buraq Air flight (UZ 0222) that landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Upon their arrival, they were received by officials from the foreign ministry and the IOM, who provided assistance.
