66 Migrants Rescued on Crete After Sailing from Libya, Greek Authorities Report

Greek authorities announced Thursday that 66 migrants were found in two locations on the southern coast of Crete after traveling from the Libyan coast, highlighting a growing trend of smuggling operations using this longer, riskier Mediterranean route.

The group, consisting of 31 Bangladeshi nationals, 22 Egyptians, and 13 Sudanese individuals—including five minors and three women—arrived on a wooden boat overnight and split into two groups upon landing. Local coast guard units discovered them early Wednesday morning.

Three Egyptian men, aged 23, 26, and 31, were arrested on smuggling charges after fellow passengers identified them as operators of the vessel. According to testimonies, the migrants had departed from Libya early Tuesday morning, each paying approximately $2,000 for passage to Greece.

Greece, a key entry point into the European Union for decades, has seen a significant increase in arrivals via the Libyan coast and neighbouring Turkey. In 2024, the country recorded more than 60,000 migrant arrivals—up from just over 48,000 the previous year. With tighter patrols along Greece’s eastern border with Turkey, smuggling networks are increasingly favouring the Libyan route, despite its dangers.

The 66 migrants found on Crete were part of a larger wave of arrivals this week. Between Monday and Wednesday, dozens more reached Crete and Gavdos, Greece’s southernmost island. Among them, 29 migrants—rescued by a Philippines-flagged tanker south of Gavdos—were identified as coming from Sudan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Egypt.

Another 45 migrants from the same regions were rescued in the same area by a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship on Tuesday. Authorities arrested two Egyptian nationals on suspicion of human smuggling from this group.

The incidents underscore the ongoing challenges Greece faces in managing migration flows, as well as the increasing risks migrants face in their efforts to reach Europe.