Authorities in Greece said Tuesday they detained 107 migrants in two separate operations near the island of Crete, as an official attributed an increase in people trying to cross the eastern Mediterranean to conflicts in the Middle East.

A cargo ship assisted in the rescue of 42 male migrants from a boat in distress that was abandoned and later broke up after hitting rocks, according to the coast guard and officials from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs.

Survivors later told authorities they had departed from the Libyan port of Tobruk. Authorities arrested two men on smuggling charges.

In the second incident, 65 migrants were found on the island of Gavdos south of Crete. One man required medical assistance and was taken to a nearby hospital.

Speaking in parliament, the deputy minister of maritime affairs, Stefanos Gikas, said authorities have been dealing with a surge in illegal migration since late 2023. Government officials have attributed it to conflicts in the Middle East.

Gikas said 47,267 people entered Greece illegally in 2024, while 625 people were arrested on smuggling charges.