LISBON, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Portuguese GNR police working in the Greek islands of Samos and Lesbos rescued 69 migrants from Afghanistan and Iraq on Monday, the GNR said in a statement.
The migrants, who were heading towards the Greek coast, include 36 children, 16 women and 17 men.
The statement said that as part of operations of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), the maritime surveillance team of the Costal Control Unit detected a vessel carrying 11 Iraqi migrants and rescued them.
In the patrol action on the island of Lesbos, the GNR military staff helped disembark 58 Afghan citizens and handed them over to the Greek authorities.
Within the framework of the Frontex operation, Portuguese GNR is carrying out actions at the land border near the Aegean Sea to prevent, detect and suppress illegal activities related to illegal immigration, trafficking in human beings and other cross-border crimes, contributing to save lives through land surveillance and patrolling.
