Greek authorities report over 170 migrants rescued as arrivals from Libya increase

ATHENS, Greece — Greek authorities have announced that more than 170 migrants were rescued from unseaworthy boats in the past three days, with the majority found off the southern coast of Greece. This route, increasingly used by human traffickers, appears to be gaining traction.

According to the Greek Coast Guard, a Philippines-flagged tanker rescued 29 migrants from a boat located 65 nautical miles (120 kilometres, 75 miles) south of Crete. Additionally, a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship rescued 45 people late at night, 42 nautical miles (78 kilometres, 49 miles) south of Gavdos Island.

On Tuesday, a coast guard patrol boat discovered a speedboat with migrants near the eastern island of Tilos. After a brief chase, the driver ran the boat aground on a beach, where authorities later found 31 people, including seven children and four women. The driver, a 37-year-old Moldovan national, was arrested.

Separately, 68 people were discovered in two cases on Monday: 19 men and one boy who had just disembarked from a wooden boat on the southern coast of Crete, and 48 men found on Gavdos Island. In both cases, the migrants stated they had departed from Tobruk, Libya, heading toward Greece.

For years, Greece has been a key entry point into the European Union for people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Over the past year, the country has seen a significant increase in arrivals from Turkey and the Libyan coast. In 2024, Greece recorded over 60,000 arrivals—most arriving by sea—up from just over 48,000 the previous year.

While many migrants continue to arrive on eastern Greek islands from the nearby Turkish coast, others are now choosing the dangerous 300-kilometer (200-mile) journey from Libya to the islands of Crete and Gavdos.