Greek Coast Guard is making efforts to collect migrants from various areas of the eastern Aegean sea over the last 48 hours. Senior Coast Guard officers reported that the wave of immigration from Asia Minor has and will continue to grow due to the tense situation in Gaza, Iraq, Syria and Libya. Human traffickers receive large amounts of money in order to fill their old boats with men, women and children, and help them enter Europe through Greece, to hopefully find a better life. Just in the last 48 hours, 553 illegal migrants were found in various areas of the eastern Greek sea borders, while six human traffickers were arrested. 114 illegal migrants were found and rescued in Chios, while the smuggler was arrested. 72 were found in Farmakonisi, 62 in Rhodes as well as a smuggler, 41 in Samos, 27 in Samothrace, 5 in Kos, 104 in Simi as well as four traffickers, 69 in Agios Efstratios and 59 in Mytilene. The Deputy General Director of the International Organization for Migration, Laura Thompson, held a meeting recently with Greek Shipping Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis on the issue of the ever increasing migration through Greek sea borders. The Minister agreed to hold further meetings between the two sides in order to improve the reception of migration flow, based on the international standards of respect for human rights and the establishment of an informational meeting between the organization and Greek Coast Guard officers who serve in areas where illegal migration is a common phenomenon.
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