Hundreds of migrants moved from Crete to Greek mainland
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Greece on Thursday unveiled a series of tougher measures aimed at curbing the arrival of migrants, following an earlier announcement by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Greek's coastguard said they had been called out numerous times over the weekend to rescue migrants stranded in boats.
Greek authorities have rescued more than 500 migrants off the country's southern islands of Crete and Gavdos in five separate maritime incidents since Friday.
The suspension will apply only to migrants reaching Crete by sea. Migrants entering illegally will be detained, Mitsotakis said. “The Greek government is sending a firm message:
Greece is a popular route for migrants and authorities have had to carry out several rescue missions in recent days, one of which involved about 430 migrants.