Greek Coast Guard Rescue Almost 50 Migrants Off Samos Island Shore

49 migrants were rescued by the Greek coast guard near the Samos island in Aegean Sea, according to local media.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Greek coast guard rescued 49 migrants on Tuesday off the Samos island in Aegean Sea, local media reported Tuesday.

The Kathimerini newspaper reported that the coast guard towed the wooden vessel and transferred the migrants to a safe place, providing no further details.

The total number of migrants and refugees currently in Greece is estimated at about 58,000.

Since early 2015, hundreds of thousands of migrants have been trying to reach EU member states through various routes, most commonly, via Italy, Greece and Balkan states.