Newsflash from Thursday, 16 October 2025: Over 100 migrants have reached Crete in the last 24 hours, with rescue operations ongoing near Gavdos and Kaloi Limenes. Authorities report one arrest linked to smuggling.
Authorities in Crete are on high alert as a continuous wave of migrant arrivals has been recorded across the island’s southern coast over the past 24 hours. More than 100 people have reached the island since Wednesday evening, as rescue operations by the Hellenic Coast Guard continue around the clock.
According to reports from Nea Kriti, two boats carrying approximately 50 migrants were detected late Wednesday night near Kastri and Kaloi Limenes, prompting immediate mobilization of local and national authorities. Early Thursday morning, another vessel with 38 migrants was located near Korfos, Gavdos, while a fourth boat carrying around 40 people was escorted safely to shore.
The migrants are believed to have departed from Tobruk, Libya, on the night of October 12, paying substantial sums to smugglers for their passage to Greece. During the preliminary investigation, a 19-year-old Sudanese national was arrested and identified as the alleged trafficker. He faces charges under Greek immigration and criminal law for illegal entry, facilitation of transport, and endangerment.
All rescued individuals were transferred safely to Kaloi Limenes and then to Heraklion Port, where they received medical checks and humanitarian assistance. Authorities confirmed that the group will be temporarily accommodated before being transferred to the Malakasa Reception and Identification Center on the mainland.
The Hellenic Coast Guard continues to monitor the region’s southern maritime borders, as officials warn of increasing migration flows from North Africa toward Crete and other southern Greek islands due to favorable weather conditions and ongoing instability in Libya.
