611 Migrants Reach Crete in 16 Hours Across 13 Rescue Operations as Smugglers Shift Route From Turkey to Libya

The Hellenic Coast Guard has coordinated 13 search-and-rescue operations in a 16-hour window as 611 migrants arrived on Crete's southern coast from Libya — a single-day surge that overwhelmed local capacity and forced authorities to requisition passing

Among the emergency interventions, a Singapore-flagged cargo freighter intercepted three structurally compromised inflatable dinghies carrying 142 people and transferred them safely to the port of Agia Galini in southern Rethymno.

Hours later, a separate commercial vessel spotted 40 migrants adrift on a motorized skiff; a Coast Guard cutter escorted them to the Kali Limenes transit dock in Heraklion.

Operations stretched from Ierapetra in the east to the remote island of Gavdos, with Frontex patrol assets and surveillance aircraft supporting Greek crews.

NGOs and regional officials say the surge reflects a deliberate shift by smuggling networks launching overcrowded vessels from the Tobruk coastline in eastern Libya — bypassing tighter patrols along the traditional Turkish maritime route.

Regional governors warned that neither Crete nor Gavdos has the permanent reception infrastructure to process the volume of arrivals, prompting immediate efforts to transfer migrants to mainland facilities.

The 611 arrivals in a single day represent a sharp escalation from the pattern reported earlier this month, when 659 migrants reached Crete and Gavdos over three days.

Greece's total sea arrivals for 2026 stood at 8,326 through May 10, according to UNHCR data — a figure that the current pace of arrivals will significantly exceed.

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The Hellenic Coast Guard has coordinated 13 search-and-rescue operations in a 16-hour window as 611 migrants arrived on Crete's southern coast from Libya — a single-day surge that overwhelmed local capacity and forced authorities to requisition passing commercial vessels to assist rescue crews.

Among the emergency interventions, a Singapore-flagged cargo freighter intercepted three structurally compromised inflatable dinghies carrying 142 people and transferred them safely to the port of Agia Galini in southern Rethymno.

Hours later, a separate commercial vessel spotted 40 migrants adrift on a motorized skiff; a Coast Guard cutter escorted them to the Kali Limenes transit dock in Heraklion.

Operations stretched from Ierapetra in the east to the remote island of Gavdos, with Frontex patrol assets and surveillance aircraft supporting Greek crews.

NGOs and regional officials say the surge reflects a deliberate shift by smuggling networks launching overcrowded vessels from the Tobruk coastline in eastern Libya — bypassing tighter patrols along the traditional Turkish maritime route.

Regional governors warned that neither Crete nor Gavdos has the permanent reception infrastructure to process the volume of arrivals, prompting immediate efforts to transfer migrants to mainland facilities.

The 611 arrivals in a single day represent a sharp escalation from the pattern reported earlier this month, when 659 migrants reached Crete and Gavdos over three days.

Greece's total sea arrivals for 2026 stood at 8,326 through May 10, according to UNHCR data — a figure that the current pace of arrivals will significantly exceed.

Διαβάστε περισσότερα στο iefimerida.gr