Hundreds of migrants arrived on the Greek island of Crete over the weekend, including 74 rescued on Monday, as traffickers increasingly use longer Mediterranean routes from North Africa.
A Coast Guard boat reportedly spotted the ship carrying migrants, sparking a rescue effort. The people on board were rescued and transported to the port of Kali Limenes.
Preliminary assessments indicate that the rescued people were in good health, according to local media reports.
Greek officials say that almost 300 migrants arrived in Crete over the weekend.
According to officials, these arrivals indicate that migrant smuggling from countries such as Libya continues unabated despite diplomatic contacts and pressure on the Libyan authorities.
Greece had earlier announced plans to deploy navy warships near Libya’s territorial waters in a bid to curb irregular migration into the country.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the move would be done “as a precautionary measure, and always in cooperation with the Libyan authorities and the other European powers” to “send a message that smugglers will not be in charge of who enters our country”.
Over 60,000 migrants arrived in Greece in 2024, primarily by sea, compared to around 2023, according to UN refugee agency data.
With Greek authorities stepping up patrols along the eastern maritime border with Turkey, traffickers appear to be increasingly choosing the longer and more dangerous route across the Mediterranean from North Africa, using larger boats capable of carrying more people.
