ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Three migrant fishermen have been awarded Greek citizenship after rescuing scores of people forced into the sea by a major wildfire outside Athens that left 100 people dead last summer.

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos hosted the ceremony Wednesday for Gani Xheka from Albania and Egyptians Emad El Khaimi and Mahmoud Ibrahim Musa. They pulled fire survivors from the sea and took them to a nearby port after the out-of-control wildfire reached the shoreline and gutted hundreds of homes.

People were trapped inside their homes or along narrow roads as they tried to flee the village of Mati. Many raced to the sea, and some drowned.

Pavlopoulos said the ceremony was also aimed at "sending a message to Europe" to counter populist anti-immigrant sentiment ahead of the European Parliament elections in May.