Two Turkish asylum seekers have been rescued after reportedly trying to fly across the Aegean Sea in an ultralight aircraft.

The men, aged 32 and 33, are believed to have run out of fuel and ditched their small plane off the Greek island of Evia, officials said Monday.

They were rescued by local fishermen on Saturday and treated for minor injuries on Evia.

The two men told Greek media that they were political dissidents in Turkey and were planning to seek asylum in the European Union. They have now been arrested and face deportation.

According to the Greek coast guard, the men had set off from near the western Turkish city of Izmir and had plans to continue on to another European country.

Authorities have been unable to find the “motorised paraglider” that had allegedly crashed.

On Monday, authorities also rescued 28 asylum-seekers off the coast of Rhodes after a distress call triggered a search and rescue operation.

Greece has become a major entry point for people fleeing conflict or poverty in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Greek police said on Sunday that a migrant was killed by gunfire at the Greece-Turkey land border while she and several others attempted to cross a river separating the two countries.