According to the statement, the coastguards swung into action at around 2am, when information was received that there was a boat in trouble carrying migrants. The team headed for the area and rescued 17 Syrian citizens: four men, four women - one of whom was pregnant - and nine children, who subsequently disembarked safely at the port of Skala Skameneas.

A few hours later, at 5.30am, information came through of another vessel, which was intercepted carrying a group of 48 migrants from Afghanistan, Iran, Cameroon and Congo. The group included 23 men, eight women and 17 children.

So far, as part of Operation Poseidon, Portugal's coastguard has intercepted and rescued from the Aegean more than 4,000 migrants of various nationalities who were trying to get to Europe from Turkey.

The operation under the aegis of the EU frontier agency, Frontex, with the support of Greece's coastguard, is aimed at clamping down on people trafficking across the Mediterranean.

The Portuguese mission, which has been in place since 1 May of last year, is to continue until 31 October.