The Greek coast guard found and rescued 33 refugees/illegal immigrants off the coast of Agathonisi in the eastern Aegean Sea in the early hours of Saturday.

A patrol vessel at the harbor spotted a motorised dinghy boat with refugees/illegal immigrants of the northeast coast of Agathonisi. The patrol crew, under the coordination of the Single Coast Rescue Research Coordination Center, collected the 33 people on board the boat.

The refugees/illegal immigrants were safely transported to the port of Agathonisi. A preliminary investigation into the case is being carried out by the local Port authorities of Samos.