Lesbos, Greece – The Portuguese Maritime Police team on a mission to the Greek island of Lesbos has rescued 27 Afghan migrants, 11 of them children, in a boat, the National Maritime Authority (AMN) announced today.
“The boat was detected by the Coast Guard surveillance team of the Maritime Police in front of Cape Karokas and was intercepted by the Maritime Police vessel, which towed the boat to the port of Skala Skaminaas where the migrants were safely disembarked and delivered to the Greek authorities, “AMN said in a statement.
According to the document, there were 27 migrants, including 11 children, 10 men and 6 women.
The Maritime Police is part of the Poseidon operation, under the aegis of the European Frontex agency and in support of the Greek coastguard, with the aim of controlling and monitoring the Greek and external maritime borders of the European Union in combating cross-border crime functions of the European coastguard.
The Maritime Police will continue on mission until January 2020, having saved 1,762 lives since starting this mission in Greece in May 2017.
Since 2014, when it began its participation in the Poseidon mission, the Maritime Police totals 4,918 saved lives.
