Brussels, 28/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Saturday 26 March, the European agency Frontex sent back its first report of the operation Poseidon, which replaced the mission RABIT in early March. This mission is deployed in Greece to monitor migratory flows from Turkey. The agency also announced the extension of the operating zone of the mission. In a press release, the agency explains that in anticipation of migratory flows from Libya, the maritime section of the Poseidon mission has been extended to the Greek islands of the Aegean Sea and Crete. As regards statistics, Frontex continues, recent data concerning transit via the River Evros have shown a decrease in migratory pressure compared to last year. Between 1 January and 24 March 2011, 5,281 migrants were detected, states the agency, compared to 8,054 arrivals observed in November and December 2010. In March, arrivals also fell, with 1,383 detections compared to 2,266 in January and 1,632 in February. Frontex added that the largest group of migrants who arrived in March were from Afghanistan, followed by Pakistan and Bangladesh. On 25 March, Frontex also announced that it had extended its Italian operation Hermes, which has been given an extra five months (until August 2011) and been extended to cover Sardinia. “Frontex is closely monitoring developments in the situation in North Africa and remains ready to lend operational assistance to the member states if needed. We are also constantly developing operational responses which can be deployed rapidly throughout the Mediterranean, if the situation calls for it”, said Frontex director Ilkka Laitinen, in a press release. (S.P./transl.fl)