Crete Becomes New Migration Hotspot as EU Fails to Stop Libya Route
20th December 2025
Crete is coming under mounting migration pressure as smugglers increasingly redirect illegal crossings toward Greece’s southern islands, exposing the limits of EU border control and shifting routes across the Mediterranean.
Greek authorities confirmed that more than 1,000 illegal migrants have arrived on Crete during December alone, with over 650 intercepted or rescued in just the past two days. On Friday, the Greek Coast Guard, supported by the EU border agency Frontex, rescued 545 migrants from an overcrowded fishing vessel detected off Gavdos, Greece’s southernmost island.
The migrants were transferred to Crete, where local authorities are already struggling with limited reception capacity. Further incidents followed overnight. A Coast Guard patrol intercepted a dinghy carrying 27 people some 45 nautical miles southeast of Kales Limeni, while another boat with 35 migrants was found near Psari Forada, in the municipality of Viannos. All were brought ashore and are expected to be placed in migrant facilities.