After a period of relative calm, Greece has seen a significant increase in migratory flows in the first months of 2024, primarily through the Evros border region in northeastern Greece and the Greek islands. According to the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, these numbers are the highest since 2019.
The Evros region has experienced a notable rise in asylum applications, with 585 filed in Fylakio in April alone. Concurrently, migrants are arriving by sea on small boats, attempting to reach various parts of the country, including the coasts of Crete, Gavdos, and Lakonia.
Gavdos Mayor Lilian Afentaki reported the arrival of two boats carrying 19 and 43 migrants respectively in June. She assured that transfers are organised swiftly, within two days, to prevent any disruption to tourist traffic.
In the first quarter of 2019, approximately 11,000 migrants arrived in Greece. This number dropped to about 9,000 in the same period in 2020, and decreased drastically in 2021 and 2022, with just over 2,000 arrivals in early 2021 and about 3,500 in early 2022. Last year, 4,660 migrants arrived in the first quarter. However, 2024 has seen a dramatic increase, with 11,835 arrivals by April, marking a 154% rise compared to the same period in 2023.
May 2024 also saw an increase in island arrivals, with 4,115 people arriving compared to 1,592 in May 2023. By mid-June, the Hellenic Coast Guard intercepted 1,477 migrants attempting to reach Greek shores. The number of individuals staying in facilities on both the islands and mainland Greece had almost doubled by April 2024 compared to the same month in 2023.
Despite the surge in migratory flows, there remains ongoing consultation and direct communication between Greek and Turkish authorities. In January, Shipping Minister Christos Stylianides met with his Turkish counterpart in Ankara to reactivate the communication channel between their respective coast guards, aiming to monitor and control migratory flows more effectively.
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