Authorities in Greece announced on Tuesday that 107 migrants were apprehended in two different operations near Crete. The rise in attempts to cross the eastern Mediterranean has been linked to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, as highlighted by officials.

In the first operation, a cargo vessel responded to a distress call and rescued 42 male migrants from a boat that had been abandoned and eventually fell apart after striking the rocks, according to reports from the coast guard and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs.

Those who survived indicated that they had set sail from the Libyan port of Tobruk, and law enforcement took two individuals into custody on suspicion of human trafficking.

The second operation led to the discovery of 65 migrants on Gavdos, an island located south of Crete. Among them, one individual required urgent medical care and was promptly transported to a nearby hospital.

During a statement in parliament, Stefanos Gikas, the deputy minister of maritime affairs, noted the challenges authorities have been facing since late 2023, emphasizing the increase in illegal migration activities. Government figures attribute this trend to the instability caused by conflicts in the Middle East.

Gikas disclosed that in 2024 alone, Greece saw 47,267 illegal entries, with a total of 625 individuals arrested on human smuggling charges.