Greece detains 1,200 migrants in three days as arrivals from Libya surge
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. ___ Derek Gatopoulos contributed from Athens, Greece ___ Follow AP's global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
How Internal Strength Can Protect Nonprofits In Turbulent Times
Leila Saad is the Founder & CEO of Catalyst Lane, which advises CEOs, founders, and mission-driven leaders navigating change. There is a long historical tradition of looking inward in times of political or social turmoil. This goes as far back as the Stoics. The Greek philosopher Epictetus has often been attributed to saying, 'It's not what happens to you but how you react to it that matters.' The central theory here is that no matter how much uncertainty you are facing, you have control over your reactions and decisions. It's a quietly revolutionary idea, and while at the individual level it applies to one's inner life, this ancient wisdom provides lessons for society and for institutions, including nonprofit organizations. In today's volatile political and social climate, nonprofit leaders are often caught in a whirlwind. Policy shifts, unpredictable funding and polarized public discourse demand constant external advocacy and rapid response. It's easy to feel that all your energy must be directed outward, fighting for your mission and resources. Yet, here's an unpopular opinion: While external engagement is vital, an overlooked but powerful strategy for impact is internal. It's about embracing the less glamorous, sometimes painstaking work of shoring up your internal operations and even strategically right-sizing. For many, this might sound like a drain on precious resources or even a step backward. But it can be life-giving for sustained resilience. I'm not here to argue that the nonprofit sector should 'roll over and play dead,' like James Carville has provocatively urged the Democrats to do, but balancing the value of external advocacy and rapid response with serious internal review and revision can provide long-lasting benefits. External Chaos Magnifies Operational Weaknesses The constant pressures nonprofits face don't just exist externally; they seep in and exacerbate existing organizational weaknesses. Consider finances. When funding streams become uncertain, a messy financial system can be a liability. A leader may be struggling to get clear, top-line reports with relevant details to inform decisions. Financial insights may be a scattered puzzle, with pieces held across an organization. If there is no clear, unified picture, it is impossible to make swift, data-driven decisions. I have heard more than one nonprofit leader say that while the trains were all running on time, it felt like it was all held together with duct tape. This ad-hoc approach can lead to over-reactivity, too. When infrastructure is lacking, an organization is more likely to operate reactively when shifts, interruptions or challenges occur. This can create friction and inconsistency across even small, dedicated teams. It is more than an inconvenience; it can drain energy, undermine morale and ultimately limit your ability to deliver on your mission from a position of strength. An Unglamorous But Essential Path To Resilience How do you initiate internal infrastructural change when it feels like taking resources away from your core mission? It begins by acknowledging that this internal work, while not glamorous, is essential. If you have not done so yet, now is the time to invest in moving fragmented financial data to a singular, clear and accessible picture. Implement systems that allow you to easily track spending, generate regular reports and gain a comprehensive understanding of your budget. This goes beyond compliance. It is about empowering leaders to make confident decisions, pivot strategically when needed and transparently engage board members and funders in necessary and tough conversations about short-term decisions and long-term sustainability. Replace "duct tape" solutions with structured, repeatable processes. This means defining clear roles and responsibilities, streamlining workflows and adopting appropriate technology to support your work. Building a robust infrastructure can reduce operational friction, ensure consistency and ultimately free up valuable staff time to focus on your mission. In times of uncertainty, there can be a knee-jerk reaction to either resist any cuts or to cut indiscriminately. Instead, engage in strategic right-sizing. This involves a clear-headed evaluation of where your people, programs and technology are maximizing impact. You can be ruthless about aligning your capacity with your current mission and future vision, down to the dollar and hour, but you can never be ruthless about the human or mission impact of those decisions, so make them thoughtfully and intentionally. The result will be an ability to adapt quickly to future external changes. Investing Inward To Ensure Long-Term Impact I don't urge inward focus to replace or retreat from the necessary outward engagement, which can feel daunting. I recommend it because it will set you up for long-term success, where both your program delivery and your external advocacy can remain sustainable and strong. Only a resilient and efficient organization can withstand external shocks, attract and retain funding and ensure mission impact. The unsexy work of shoring up operations may not always be headline news, but it is the quiet, foundational effort that ensures your nonprofit can thrive, no matter the turbulence. Let's take inspiration from what another great Stoic, Marcus Aurelius, wrote: 'You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength." Forbes Nonprofit Council is an invitation-only organization for chief executives in successful nonprofit organizations. Do I qualify?
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Afghanistan provincial government: road accident in western Afghanistan kills 71
KABUL (Reuters) -A traffic accident in Afghanistan's western Herat province killed 71 people, including 17 children, on Tuesday night when a bus carrying deported migrants to Kabul caught fire after colliding with a truck and motorcycle, provincial government spokesman Ahmadullah Muttaqi said. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘The ultimate betrayal': Burnsville man gets life in prison for killing, dismembering mother
Sandra Viola Mitteness was a good, caring woman who loved her son unconditionally, her niece told the court Tuesday. Mitteness, 82, brought 'joy to my life, as she reminded me of my mother,' niece Ronae O'Connor said. 'Troy took all of that away.' The thought of her last moments and 'witnessing the ultimate betrayal by her son,' she said, 'is something that keeps me up at night.' Last week, a Dakota County jury convicted 58-year-old Troy Michael Mitteness of first-degree murder for killing his mother three years ago with a knife as she slept and then dismembering her body at their Burnsville townhome. He put the remains in plastic tote bins and tossed body parts along Interstate 494 and Minnesota 7 as he drove to Appleton, Minn. Mitteness declined to address the court before Judge Richelle Wahi pronounced the mandatory sentence: life in prison without the possibility of parole. 'As district court judges, we see a lot of things,' Wahi said. 'And here the sentence is very appropriate.' Prosecutors originally charged Mitteness with second-degree intentional murder a year after the June 2, 2022, killing. In December, a grand jury returned an indictment charging him with first-degree premeditated murder. Jurors heard excerpts of Mitteness' July 7, 2023, interview with Burnsville police, when he admitted to the killing and said 'it was all over money' that he had stolen from her. 'I wanna find your mom. I wanna get your mom reunited with Daron,' an investigator told Mitteness, referring to his brother, who died in 1999. 'She's not gonna be able to be laid next to Daron,' Mitteness said, adding 'there was dismemberment' in the garage. When asked what happened, Mitteness said he had stolen 'maybe $200,000' from his mother, most of which she had received when his brother died. He said she questioned him about where he got money for a new car and furniture. He wasn't working. 'She wanted to go up there,' he said of her bank. 'So I was (expletive). She wanted to go see it with her own eyes.' He told the investigator he 'couldn't have that happen,' for her to know that, 'I pissed away that money. I didn't gamble it away, I just spent … foolishly.' He said he Googled 'how do you kill an elderly woman without poisoning them.' He put a shower curtain under her bed. He brought a 'huge knife' up to his room. 'Debated, debated, debated,' he told the investigator. 'That early morning, like at 3:00 in the morning, went in there and slit her throat.' He added, 'She reached up with her arm and she was gone.' He moved the body to the bathroom, where he took off her class ring and a Black Hills Gold ring that he and his brother had given her. Related Articles Man fatally shot in St. Paul ID'd as 26-year-old from Minneapolis Duluth man arrested in weekend shooting death of his mother, 74 MN Court of Appeals reverses murder conviction in St. Paul alley shooting Foul play not suspected in death of woman, 70, found in St. Paul senior living fire Coast Guard helicopter rescues 4 kids stranded on Lake Superior rock A day later, he grabbed another shower curtain and pulled her down the steps to the garage. He said three or four days later, 'I started cutting her up. I didn't want to be too loud.' On June 6, 2022, he made the nearly three-hour drive to Appleton 'and kind of deposited the parts along the way,' he said. He said he put the tote bins near a dumpster at an abandoned rest stop on Minnesota 7 near Willmar, Minn. Officers went to the location and the property owners reported it was previously a rest stop and, after they bought it, they found two bins behind a shipping container and moved them to a burn pile. Officers found tote bins in the burn pile, and collected them as evidence. O'Connor testified at Mitteness' trial that she would visit her aunt on Wednesdays and last saw or heard from her on May 25, 2022. She said Troy Mitteness told her she had passed away after suffering a stroke. Mitteness told others the same story. He placed an obituary in the Appleton Press newspaper that read she 'passed away peacefully, with Troy by her side, on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, in Alexandria Assisted Living, from complications of a stroke.' Then, over several months in early 2023, police received reports that mail was being stolen from the Burnsville post office. With one, the name was changed to Sandra Mitteness and from one financial institution to another. When police asked Mitteness about his mother's whereabouts, so they could ask her about the deposit, he gave varying accounts, including that she was in Milbank, S.D. Police searched the townhome and found the obituary, though the funeral home told police they hadn't provided post-mortem care. Mitteness was charged with one count each of theft, mail theft and check forgery on June 30, 2023. A second search of the townhome on July 6, 2023, turned up blood on the underside of a mattress and on steps. Assistant Dakota County Attorney Stacy St. George told the court Tuesday that Sandra Mitteness did not receive a celebration of life or an opportunity for the family to gather together to celebrate her. 'So, today, from our perspective, it's not about Mr. Mitteness,' she said. 'Instead, this is our opportunity to introduce to you and to honor Ms. Mitteness, who lived on this Earth for 82 years and seven months before her brutal murder.' Related Articles Minnesota sues TikTok, alleging it preys on young people with addictive algorithms Ramsey County judge strikes down Minnesota's binary trigger ban MN Court of Appeals reverses murder conviction in St. Paul alley shooting Minneapolis man charged with shooting gun inside St. Anthony Cub store Hennepin County grand jury indicts Vance Boelter on first-degree murder charges Sandra Mitteness 'physically, emotionally and financially' gave what she could to her son, she said. O'Connor said one of the highlights of her week was seeing her aunt, whether they would go shopping, try out a new restaurant or 'just scooting around town.' Knowing that her aunt may never be laid to rest next to her son Daron 'because Troy tossed her out like trash, is something none of us will ever get over.' She said now that justice has been served in the killing, she can pray that her aunt 'can finally rest with the dignity she deserves.'
