Two sailboats carrying dozens of migrants reach Kythira, Greece

Two sailboats carrying dozens of migrants arrived on a southern Greek island early Wednesday, with the first one running aground on rocks. Nobody was reported injured or missing.

The exact number of passengers on the second boat – which arrived around midday – and their nationalities were not immediately known, the coast guard said.

It was unclear when or from where the two vessels had set sail, and whether they had been travelling together or separately.

But with authorities increasing patrols in the area and facing persistent reports of summarily deporting new arrivals back to Turkey without allowing them to apply for asylum, many are now attempting the much longer, and more dangerous, route directly to Italy. Greek authorities deny they carry out illegal summary deportations of asylum-seekers.

Source: AP