Greece rescues more than 500 asylum seekers off coast of Crete | Migration News
Hundreds Rescued in Major Asylum Seeker Operation off Crete
Greek authorities say nearly 540 asylum seekers have been rescued from an overcrowded fishing vessel south of the island of Crete, in one of the largest such operations in the region in recent months.
According to Greece’s coastguard, the group was discovered about 16 nautical miles (29.6 kilometres) off the small island of Gavdos during a coordinated search-and-rescue mission on Friday. Officials did not disclose where the boat had departed from, a detail that often remains unclear in emergency maritime rescues.
A coastguard spokesperson told the AFP news agency that those rescued came from a wide range of countries, reflecting the increasingly diverse routes feeding into the central and eastern Mediterranean. The asylum seekers were reportedly from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan and the occupied Palestinian territory.
After being brought ashore, the group was transferred to the Cretan city of Rethymno. There, authorities said, they will undergo medical examinations and initial screening procedures before their asylum claims are formally registered and processed under Greek and European Union law.
Multiple Rescues Near Gavdos
The large-scale rescue followed another incident earlier in the week, highlighting the mounting pressure on Greece’s southern maritime borders. On Thursday, the EU’s border agency Frontex rescued 70 people—65 men and five women—from two boats in distress near Gavdos, the coastguard said.
Gavdos, a sparsely populated island south of Crete, has increasingly become a focal point for migrant arrivals due to its proximity to routes crossing from North Africa. Its limited infrastructure has raised concerns among local authorities and aid groups about the island’s ability to cope with repeated rescue operations.
Photographs from Rethymno showed asylum seekers sitting outside temporary shelters, many appearing exhausted after days at sea. Aid workers described scenes of relief mixed with uncertainty, as those rescued now face lengthy asylum procedures.
Greece Once Again on the Migration Front Line
Greece was a primary entry point during Europe’s migration crisis in 2015 and 2016, when more than one million people—mostly fleeing conflict and instability in the Middle East and Africa—arrived on Greek shores before moving onward to other European countries, including Germany.
Although overall arrivals by sea have fallen sharply since that peak, officials say new migration patterns are emerging. Crete and Gavdos, the two Greek islands closest to the African coast, have recorded a notable increase in arrivals, particularly from boats believed to have departed from Libya.
Authorities attribute the shift to tighter controls elsewhere in the Mediterranean and to ongoing instability in parts of North Africa and the Horn of Africa, which continues to drive people to attempt dangerous sea crossings.
EU Migration Pact Looms
The latest rescues come as the European Union prepares to implement its long-debated migration and asylum pact, set to enter into force next June. Under the new framework, frontline states such as Greece, Cyprus, Spain and Italy will be eligible for increased support from other EU member states when facing heightened migratory pressure.
According to the European Council, this assistance may include financial aid, logistical support, and the deployment of EU agencies such as Frontex to help manage arrivals and process asylum claims more efficiently.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said that enforcing deportations for asylum seekers whose claims are rejected will be a central pillar of his centre-right government’s approach under the new pact.
Rights Groups Raise Concerns
Human rights organisations have criticised the EU agreement, warning that it prioritises deterrence over protection and risks undermining the rights of asylum seekers. Critics argue that faster border procedures and increased returns could expose vulnerable people to harm or refoulement, in violation of international law.
As Greece braces for continued arrivals along its southern maritime frontier, the latest rescue near Crete underscores the enduring human cost of irregular migration—and the political and moral challenges facing Europe as it seeks to balance border control with humanitarian obligations.