Greece: 145 migrants rescued in 24 hours off Gavdos

A total of 145 migrants were rescued over the past 24 hours in the sea area south of Gavdos Island, near Crete, according to authorities.

On Tuesday morning (September 23), a Hellenic Coast Guard patrol vessel, supported by a drone operated by the EU’s border agency Frontex, located and rescued 36 migrants from a boat. Authorities transported the individuals to the port of Sfakia.

On Monday, in the same maritime area, a Frontex vessel, assisted by a passing ship, rescued 43 migrants from a dinghy located eight nautical miles south of Gavdos. They were subsequently transferred to the island’s port.

In a separate operation, another 66 people were rescued from a dinghy 14 nautical miles south of Gavdos and were also brought safely to port.

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Greek islands see uptick in departures from Libyan port city of Tobruk

Over a week ago, the Greek coast guard attended to around 800 migrants who managed to reach Gavdos, moving them to reception centers on Crete. The island of Crete has been suffering severe overcrowding and unsanitary conditions in recent months.

According to the coast guard, the majority of migrants who arrived in mid-September had set off from the Libyan port city of Tobruk in the east of the country near its border with Egypt, noting that they had set off in a number of fishing boats, traveling 300 kilometers (about 165 nautical miles) in almost a straight line.

The Libyan city of Tobruk remains outside the control of Libya’s internationally recognized government, which is based in Tripoli. This complicates efforts by both the Greek government and the European Union to coordinate with local authorities responsible for curbing migrant departures to Europe.

In recent weeks, Greece and the EU have initiated contact with the de facto leadership in eastern Libya, led by General Khalifa Haftar, in an attempt to explore joint solutions.

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Irregular migrants in Greece could face imprisonment 

According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), nearly 12,000 migrants have arrived on the island of Crete so far in 2025, primarily departing from the coasts of North Africa. This figure represents a more than 300 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Based on UNHCR data, Crete and Gavdos have accounted for well over one-third of all migrant arrivals to Greek territory to date this year.

In response, the government imposed a suspension on processing asylum applications for individuals arriving by sea. The suspension has been in place for over two months and was initially scheduled to last three months, until October 11. However, authorities have indicated it could be extended further.

In addition, the Greek government has recently passed new legislation that criminalizes the unauthorized presence of rejected asylum seekers. Under the new law, individuals who no longer have the legal right to remain in Greece must either participate in voluntary return programs or face a minimum prison sentence of three years.

Though the policy has drawn criticism, the Greek Ministry of Migration argues that the measures are necessary to maintain public order and safeguard national security.

With dpa

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