Greek authorities rescue 91 migrants from river islet on border with Turkey

Greek authorities have rescued 91 migrants from a river island and transferred them to a processing center near the border with Turkey, police said.

Police said the group of immigrants included 32 men, 25 women, and 34 children.

The Red Cross participated in the rescue operation. Many of the migrants told the police they were from Syria.

The migrants had been on an island in the Evros River since at least last Friday, when NGOs emailed the authorities alerting them to their presence.

Part of the island is located in the Greek lands and the other part is located in the Turkish lands.

A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said the migrants moved to the Greek side early Sunday morning, which enabled the rescue operation.

The statement added that the recent low water level in the river “encourages illegal crossings of migrants, through islands located in Greek and Turkish lands.” The Greek government has appealed to its Turkish counterpart to coordinate with border authorities and prevent illegal crossings.