Immigrants adrift off Greek island

Immigrants disembark one of two fishing vessels that docked at the harbor of Crotone, southern Italy, at the weekend

ATHENS, Greece -- Greece has dispatched two warships to assist over 200 would-be illegal immigrants stranded off the island of Kos.

The immigrants, who are believed to have been heading for Italy, are refusing to leave their disabled fishing trawler which is adrift and crewless in the Ionian Sea.

Greece initially sent one warship to the scene but on Tuesday dispatched a second warship to "offer help, or if necessary, transport to those in need."

Hundreds of asylum seekers wanting to be taken to Italy, continue to refuse any intervention by Greek authorities.

A spokesman for the Greek Merchant Marine Ministry told Reuters: "Initially the immigrants had refused to board the Greek ships and said they wanted to sail to Italy."

The immigrants, who have been drifting around on a crewless fishing vessel for over two days were first spotted in rough waters 80 miles of the northwestern Greek holiday island of Kos.

"There are a lot of waves in that region and it will not be easy to proceed," said a navy spokesman.

Earlier this month, Greek police detained over two hundred Iraqi asylum seekers as they disembarked from a Turkish cargo ship.

The illegal movement of people has contributed to the already tense relations in the Mediterranean region.

The wave of people attempting to enter Italy through Greece has become an increasing problem.

Hundreds of would-be migrants arrived in southern Italy in two separate boatloads on Saturday.

Several thousand immigrants each year manage to enter the European Union illegally.