On Thursday, the Greek authorities expressed growing concerns over an emerging migration route between Libya and the island of Crete, which has seen an influx of over 1,500 migrants landing on the tiny island of Gavdos, south of Crete since early 2024.
The influx, originating from Tobruk in Libya’s northeast, has brought unexpected challenges to Crete, especially to Gavdos, an island with minimal infrastructure, including a single school, two grocery stores, and just one police officer, as reported by “Le Monde.”
The rise in migrant arrivals via this unanticipated route has caught Greek officials off guard, highlighting the absence of planned reception capabilities on an island lying about 300 kilometers from the Libyan coast.
Gavdos’ mayor, Lilian Stefanakis, has been appealing for governmental support for months, seeking essential supplies and first aid for the new arrivals, many of whom endure journeys lasting over 36 hours, with costs ranging from $4,000 to $5,000 (€3,700 to €4,600).
The year 2024 has seen a significant spike in refugee arrivals to Greece, with the count reaching 8,000, up from 3,000 in the same timeframe in 2023. The changing dynamics in migrant smuggling operations, which now view the journey to Italy as increasingly challenging, have unexpectedly shifted focus towards Crete as a new destination from North Africa.
To counteract the formation of this new migration path, cooperation with Egypt is deemed crucial. The Greek government has welcomed a recent agreement between the European Union and Egypt, which provides for €7.4 billion in economic aid to enhance border control efforts in Egypt and Libya. This agreement also addresses concerns about potential Palestinian migration through the same route.
In a move to manage the steady flow of migrants, the Greek Interior Minister announced on Monday additional reinforcements to both Crete and Gavdos. Following this, the Greek Coast Guard disclosed that it had escorted 74 migrants to Crete after discovering them on a wooden boat in the Mediterranean. Found 25 nautical miles south of Gavdos, the migrants were safely transported to Crete and provided with temporary shelter, with no immediate reports of injuries or illness among them.
Greek Migration Minister Dimitris Kairidis, during a recent visit to Crete and Gavdos, committed to increasing the region’s funding and bolstering the Coast Guard’s presence, emphasizing that the islands would not be neglected, especially Gavdos, given its small size and limited population.
