More than 230 migrants arrived in Greece over the past two days, authorities reported Friday, with some taking a rare route from North Africa to Greece’s southern mainland.
The influx comes as Greece’s government prepares for a potential increase in migrant arrivals due to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. However, the anticipated surge has not yet materialized.
Nearly half of the recent arrivals took a new, riskier route from eastern Libya, which emerged this year. This path is longer than the common crossing from Turkey.
On Friday, the coast guard rescued 75 migrants from a disabled boat south of Crete. The group, which departed from eastern Libya, was rescued by a merchant ship after sending a distress call.
According to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), more than 3,500 migrants have reached Crete this year. The agency says this marks a significant increase from previous years.
Additionally, the coast guard discovered 38 people who left Benghazi in eastern Libya and arrived on Greece’s southern mainland. This route, slightly longer than the one to Crete, raises questions about whether it signals a new migration pattern or a navigational error.
Authorities found the group on Thursday after a two-day crossing. Two Egyptians among them were arrested, suspected of organizing the smuggling operation and charging each migrant up to 4,500 euros ($4,900).
Another 126 people arrived on the eastern Aegean islands of Tilos and Symi on Wednesday and Thursday, using small boats from Turkey’s nearby coast.
Greece continues to receive tens of thousands of migrants yearly, primarily from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, as they seek better lives in Europe. According to UNHCR, over 42,000 migrants have entered Greece so far this year, mostly from Turkey. In comparison, 48,000 arrived in all of 2023.
While the crossing from Libya takes at least two days, fast smuggling boats from Turkey can reach Greece’s islands in under an hour, despite frequent coast guard patrols.
Italy remains the primary European destination for illegal migration, with over 51,000 arrivals this year, followed by Spain.
