Hundreds of Migrants Land on Crete in Weekend Surge

10:03 7/7/2025 - Πηγή: iEfimerida

More than 750 migrants landed or were rescued in a series of operations off the southern coast of Crete and the nearby island of Gavdos over the weekend, a dramatic surge that highlights the intensifying pressure on a new sea route from Libya.

In one striking incident on Sunday morning, a boat carrying dozens of migrants landed directly on the crowded Diskos Beach, west of Lentas, surprising tourists and locals who were on the shore.

The landing was one of several events that unfolded in just over 48 hours. 

The largest single rescue took place 25 nautical miles south of Gavdos, where the Hellenic Coast Guard, with assistance from a commercial tanker, saved 430 people from an overloaded fishing vessel. They were all transported to the port of Agia Galini.

Several other rescue operations involving cargo ships and coast guard patrol boats brought hundreds more to safety in the ports of Paleochora and Kalo Limenes.

The weekend’s events underscore the growing use of the dangerous, long-distance sea route from eastern Libya to Crete, which has become the primary entry point for migrants seeking to reach Greece. 

The Greek government recently deployed naval vessels to the area to deter smugglers and has stepped up diplomatic engagement with Libyan authorities in an effort to curb the departures

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