Over 400 migrants have landed on the small island of Gavdos near Crete, a new entry point increasingly used by migrant smugglers in the past months, a Hellenic Coast Guard spokesperson said on Friday.
The migrants arrived in separate groups over the last 24 hours, with the largest including over 350 people off Gavdos. Τhe migrants’ fishing boat was detected by an EU border agency Frontex vessel on Thursday. A Greek Coast Guard vessel and four nearby cargo ships participated in the rescue operation. The migrants were transferred to a temporary reception center in Palaiochora on Crete for registration and identification.
On Thursday morning, another group of about forty migrants was spotted off the coast of Gavdos by the coast guard. They were also transferred to the camp on Crete, according to an official statement. No details have been released so far regarding the migrants’ nationalities.
In late May over 500 migrants were rescued off the coast of Crete and Gavdos. Several of the migrants stated they had departed from Libya, having paid between 150,000 and 200,000 Egyptian pounds—equivalent to roughly $3,000 to $4,000—for the dangerous crossing.
Flow of migrants from Libya to Gavdos and Crete has increased
The number of deaths and missing persons in the waters off Gavdos and Crete has significantly increased compared to previous years, according to the NGO Refugee Support Aegean (RSA).
Many boats depart from the Libyan coast, specifically the port of Tobruk. The distance between Tobruk and southern Crete is approximately 180 nautical miles. This is one of the most perilous sea routes in the Mediterranean. Migrants are crammed into old fishing boats or small vessels, often enduring a journey of at least two days on open seas without food or life-saving equipment, RSA notes.
Characteristically, a tragic incident occurred on December 13, 2024, when one of the deadliest shipwrecks in the waters southwest of Gavdos claimed the lives of more than half of the passengers. Eight bodies were recovered, with five detected initially and three more found in the following days. According to media reports, over 35 individuals have been reported missing and are now presumed dead, including children. From this shipwreck, 39 people were rescued, four of whom were transferred to the General Hospital of Chania for medical treatment.
Greek authorities say that, more often than not, boats that set sail from the port of Tobruk, Libya enter Greek territorial waters and then send out an SOS signal to be rescued by the Hellenic Coast Guard. The boats are ominously frail, and occupants are not provided with food or life-saving equipment.
Located at the external borders of the EU in the southeastern Mediterranean, Greece is one of the main gateways to Europe for people fleeing war and poverty in Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent.
Related: Greece to Criminalize Stay and Expand Detention for Illegal Immigrants
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