In January 2025, the EU recorded 66,800 first-time asylum applications—an 8% rise from the previous month but 24% lower than a year earlier. Venezuelans became the top group of applicants, overtaking Syrians for the first time since 2022. Greece ranked fifth in total applications and had the highest rate per capita, while also receiving the second-highest number of unaccompanied minors.
Tag: refugee crisis
Six young children living in a migrant camp on the Greek island of Samos have been diagnosed with moderate to severe malnutrition, marking the first such cases since the facility opened in 2021, according to Doctors Without Borders. The medical charity says poor camp conditions, combined with limited pediatric care and the recent loss of asylum seeker stipends, have worsened the children’s health.
Turkey has begun constructing an 8.5-kilometer wall along its border with Greece as part of new “physical security measures.” The move, announced by Edirne Governor Yunus Sezer, aims to reinforce Turkey’s western border and address security concerns. This project is part of broader efforts to enhance border security, following criticism of Greece’s handling of migration through alleged “pushbacks.”
A migrant stranded in a remote rocky area of Gavdos was rescued and airlifted to Chania Hospital in Crete on Monday. The operation, carried out with the assistance of a Greek Air Force helicopter, is linked to a group of 65 migrants found on the island the previous day. Authorities continue to monitor the situation as Gavdos remains a landing point for migrants attempting to reach Europe.
A Greek Ombudsman inquiry has found that the Hellenic Coast Guard failed to follow maritime rescue protocols in the 2023 Adriana shipwreck, one of the Mediterranean’s deadliest migrant disasters. The report, which confirms survivors’ testimonies, reveals that authorities monitored the overcrowded trawler for 15 hours without escalating it to a distress situation, delaying rescue efforts. Disciplinary action has been recommended against eight coast guard officers, while a naval court investigates potential criminal liability. The findings raise further concerns over Greece’s handling of migration crises and adherence to international maritime law.
A 34-year-old Egyptian migrant woman has accused a fellow detainee at the Malakasa Reception and Identification Centre of repeated rape, brutal violence, and death threats against her and her child. After enduring two months of terror, she managed to seek help and report the abuse to authorities, leading to the arrest of the 39-year-old suspect. The case has raised serious concerns about the safety of vulnerable individuals in Greece’s migrant detention centers.
Greek authorities have rescued 66 migrants on the southern island of Crete after they arrived from Libya by boat, part of a growing trend of smuggling operations using the Mediterranean route. The group, which included minors and women, consisted of nationals from Bangladesh, Egypt, and Sudan. Three Egyptians were arrested on smuggling charges, while migrants reported paying $2,000 each for the dangerous journey. The incident is among several recent arrivals highlighting the challenges Greece faces as migration from North Africa to Europe increases.
As the Syrian conflict continues to reshape migration patterns, thousands of refugees are preparing to return as persecution by the Assad regime fades. However, Shiites and Alawites now confront uncertainty under jihadist control, prompting new refugee flows that have European countries on alert. In Greece, authorities are monitoring increased migrant activity, particularly in Crete, while assessing the region’s shifting dynamics and the potential implications for asylum policies.
As Turkish-backed jihadists advance through central Syria, the Greek Orthodox communities of Suqaylabiyah and Mhardeh are forced to flee, seeking refuge in the Valley of the Christians near Lebanon’s border. The local community opens its doors to support the displaced families in the face of escalating violence, ensuring their safety and providing shelter during this time of crisis.
A U.N. expert has accused Greece of failing to identify and support victims of sex trafficking at a migrant centre on the island of Samos. Siobhán Mullally, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on trafficking, detailed systemic neglect, including cases of women showing clear signs of exploitation who received no adequate care. One victim, who gave birth at the centre, was forced to wear her labour-stained clothing for weeks. The allegations highlight broader concerns about Greece’s ability to address trafficking amid rising migrant arrivals.
The United Nations refugee agency has expressed deep concern over a recent surge in migrant deaths in Greek waters. This week alone, two fatal shipwrecks claimed the lives of multiple individuals attempting to reach Greece by sea from Turkey in small boats.
A tragic shipwreck off the coast of Farmakonisi has led to the rescue of 19 migrants and the arrest of two suspected human traffickers. Unfortunately, one person remains missing. As authorities continue their investigation, the incident highlights the ongoing refugee crisis in the region.
Greece recorded the highest rate of first-time asylum applications in the EU relative to its population in August 2024, with 59.9 applications per hundred thousand people, far exceeding the EU average of 15.4. While total EU asylum applications fell by nearly 25% compared to last year, Greece remains a key entry point for migrants, highlighting the ongoing challenges of equitable burden-sharing across member states.
Greek-British actor Theo James, a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, is urging global leaders at COP29 to include refugees in climate policies. Drawing from his personal ties to refugees and recent visits to affected regions, James highlighted the urgent need for support as climate change drives displacement, stressing that climate and refugee crises are inseparably linked.
Greek authorities are continuing the search for a missing child off the island of Samos after a migrant boat ran aground on a rocky shore. The boat, carrying 46 migrants, including 21 children, struck the rocks on Sunday. While most passengers made it to safety, a child was reported lost in the water, sparking a second day of search efforts by divers and coast guard patrols.
Europe’s top human rights body, the Council of Europe, has urged Cyprus to allow nearly 35 migrants stranded in a UN buffer zone to apply for asylum. Commissioner Michael O’Flaherty highlighted the harsh conditions these individuals face and called on Cyprus to meet its obligations under international law while addressing migration challenges along the island’s divided borders.
As Middle East conflicts raise concerns about increased migration, Greece is urging the EU to adopt stricter migration policies. Migration Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos announced plans for new detention centres on Rhodes and Crete, as sea arrivals have doubled. With migrant facilities nearing capacity, Greece seeks enhanced border controls and deportation measures within the EU’s recently approved Migration and Asylum Pact.
Sixty migrants were discovered on a beach on the Greek island of Gavdos on Monday, where they will remain overnight before being transferred by ferry to a migrant processing facility in Chania.
Amid fears of a refugee surge from Lebanon, Cyprus has declared its migration route closed, citing measures to curb asylum seeker inflows. This move has sparked tension with humanitarian groups and led to increased scrutiny over Cyprus’s handling of migration, including accusations of illegal pushbacks and rising racially motivated violence.
Greek authorities have recovered the bodies of two migrants after their boat sank off the island of Samos in the Aegean Sea. Twenty-two other passengers were rescued, and the operation has concluded. Greece, a key gateway for migrants during the 2015-2016 crisis, has seen a resurgence in migrant crossings, particularly along a new southern route via the island of Gavdos.