By ELENA BECATOROS, GAVDOS, Greece (AP):- Authorities in Greece say more than 1,200 migrants have been detained on the island of Crete and the nearby islet of Gavdos over the past three days, following a surge in arrivals from Libya.
The coast guard said multiple boats were intercepted off Crete’s southern coast from Saturday through Monday, prompting regional officials to request additional government assistance.
The uptick in arrivals coincided with a visit by Greece’s foreign minister, Giorgos Gerapetritis, to Libya for talks with both the internationally recognized government and a rival administration, amid efforts to address the growing migration crisis and a maritime boundary dispute.
Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said patrols by the coast guard and navy in the region are likely to be intensified. He added that approximately 8,000 migrants have reached Crete since the start of the year.
“It’s a complex and extremely serious issue. Crete and its residents are under significant strain,” Marinakis said. “We hope that all the diplomatic efforts will bear fruit. Otherwise, we will be forced to adopt stricter and far more large-scale measures to ensure the country is protected.”
Migrants typically make the 350-kilometer (220-mile) journey to Crete in unseaworthy boats — often hastily constructed to survive a single voyage or in abandoned vessels modified in scrapyards.
Gavdos, a tiny island south of Crete, has been overwhelmed by arrivals. Boats and dinghies remain washed up on its pebble beaches, many of them accessible only on foot.
On one remote beach, David, a migrant from war-torn South Sudan, sat with five others as they rested to decide what to do next.
Speaking to The Associated Press, he said smugglers beat several people during the journey and demanded more money than originally agreed.
“After you pay the money, everything is by force. If you talk, they hit you,” he said. “The boat was very dangerous — too many people.”
David, who asked to be identified only by his first name, said he hoped to stay anywhere in Europe.
“We didn’t come to cause a problem. We came to save our lives,” he said. “If you stay, you die.”
European Commissioner Magnus Brunner is expected to travel to Libya this week with government representatives from Greece, Italy and Malta to push for tougher action from Libyan authorities to curb migrant departures for Europe.
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Derek Gatopoulos contributed from Athens, Greece