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Greece’s maritime affairs curate pledged Monday to “defend” the southern land of Crete against a wave of migration successful small boats that hazard the agelong and unsafe transition from northbound Africa to scope European soil.
Speaking during a visit to the island, Vassilis Kikilias said that Crete was his “first priority” and said the blimpish authorities is investing successful much patrol boats, drones and unit to combat amerciable immigration.
“At a hard time, with wars, a civilian war successful Sudan and migratory flows, we are trying to signifier ourselves successful the champion imaginable way,” helium said.
“We emotion the island, we emotion our islanders and we request to support Crete,” Kikilias said. “So we are strengthening it with much Coast Guard unit and we person much vessels present than anyplace other owed to the situation with immigration.”
In caller months, Crete has go the premier destination for migrants from the Middle East and Africa trying to participate Greece, en way to Europe’s prosperous heartland. So acold this year, much than 2,300 radical person successfully made the crossing, which amounts to much than a third of total arrivals by oversea and land.
The 2nd astir fashionable single constituent of accomplishment is Lesvos successful the eastbound Aegean Sea, with astir 800 radical making landfall there since January 1. Lesvos lies adjacent to the Turkish littoral, while Crete is astir a three-day travel from eastbound Libya.
Greek (GR) · 
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