Greek coastguard rescues 85 undocumented migrants in Aegean Sea

“The migrants are currently being transferred to other vessels and will be taken to the island of Astypalaia,” a coastguard spokeswoman said.

Coastguard spokesman Nikos Lagadianos had earlier recounted that the rescue process had been complicated by hail and high winds.

“We gave them food and water and they are not in danger,” Lagadianos noted.

The nationalities of the immigrants were not immediately clear.

Greece is one of the main ports of entry into the European Union for migrants and refugees fleeing war-torn and impoverished countries in Africa, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent.

Refugee traffic has soared over the past year because of the ongoing war in Syria. Arrivals by sea have increased owing to stricter controls on the Greek-Turkish northern land border.