Authorities rescue 23 people near Lesvos and warn pressure on migration routes is rising

Authorities say 23 migrants were rescued from a dinghy near the island of Lesvos in the eastern Aegean Sea on Tuesday. Rescue teams also recovered two more bodies after a boat carrying migrants sank off of Gavdos over the weekend, bringing the death toll to seven.

The government says migrant arrivals have increased by up to 35% since fall 2023. While most travel the short distance between the Turkish mainland and nearby Greek islands, a larger number now make the perilous 300-kilometer journey from the Libyan coast to the islands of Crete and Gavdos, officials said.

On Sunday, some 39 migrants were rescued from the sinking vessel while three other rescue operations saved more than 150 others. Dozens remain missing, based on survivors' accounts, the coast guard said.

Migration Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos said pressure on eastern Mediterranean migration routes...