More than 400 asylum seekers have arrived on the remote island of Gavdos near Crete within the past 24 hours, according to the Greek coastguard.
Over 350 of the migrants were rescued from a fishing boat detected by an EU border agency (Frontex) vessel on Thursday, June 19. The rescue operation, coordinated by the Greek coastguard, involved assistance from four nearby cargo ships.
In a statement, the coastguard confirmed: “The asylum seekers arrived in separate groups over the last 24 hours, with the largest including over 350 people off Gavdos.”
Earlier that morning, another group of about 40 migrants was found on the island’s coastline. They were also relocated to a temporary reception centre in Paleochora, Crete, where all the arrivals will undergo registration and identification.
No details have been released about the migrants’ nationalities.
Greece remains one of the EU’s primary entry points for asylum seekers, with over 14,000 arriving by sea so far this year, compared to more than 54,000 in 2024, according to UN figures.
The small island of Gavdos, located south of Crete at the EU’s external border, has seen a sharp rise in migrant landings in recent months. The increase is reportedly linked to shifting smuggling routes now targeting less monitored entry points.
