Crete is currently witnessing a significant spike in migration flows, with local authorities and rescue teams working around the clock. Since Easter Sunday, a total of 368 irregular migrants have arrived on the southern coast of the island and the remote island of Gavdos, marking a busy and challenging period for the region.
A Busy Tuesday Dawn: Ierapetra and Agia Galini
The influx continued into the early hours of Tuesday, April 14, 2026, with two major rescue operations.
In the first incident, 61 individuals were located in the sea area off Ierapetra. This group consisted of 38 Egyptian nationals, with the remainder hailing from Bangladesh. Notably, authorities reported a high number of minors among them, some as young as 12 and 13 years old. They have been temporarily housed at the Kalogeroi primary school.
Simultaneously, another 59 migrants, the majority of whom are from Sudan, were rescued south of Kali Limenes and safely disembarked at Agia Galini.
International Cooperation in the Libyan Sea
The surge follows a coordinated international effort on Monday night. A group of 59 people was rescued 32 nautical miles southeast of Kali Limenes in an operation involving:
* A French naval vessel
* A Frontex aircraft
* A Panama-flagged merchant ship
After being picked up by the merchant vessel, the migrants were transferred by Frontex to Kokkinos Pyrgos and eventually moved to the port of Heraklion at 4:00 AM Tuesday morning.
Widespread Arrivals: From Gavdos to Arvi
The Easter weekend saw arrivals spread across various points of the Cretan coastline:
* Arvi: 37 individuals (including one woman) were brought to the port of Heraklion on Monday.
* Gavdos: A group of 25 people was located and transported to the Agyia exhibition center for temporary shelter.
Current Situation and Housing
As of Tuesday morning, the pressure on local infrastructure is evident. Approximately 200 people are currently being hosted at the “Fridge” facility at the port of Heraklion, while others are distributed among temporary shelters in Agyia and local schools.
Local authorities remain on high alert as the weather conditions and regional instability continue to drive these migration patterns toward Greece’s largest island.
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