Greece recorded 862 migrant arrivals on Monday with most people reaching Crete and nearby islands after crossing from North Africa, adding pressure to temporary accommodation sites already struggling to provide shelter.
The updated tally from the Greek Coast Guard, made Monday one of the busiest days for arrivals this year. Authorities reported another 279 people in five boats, on top of 522 previously recorded around Crete and Gavdos. Another 61 reached Psara and Kalolimnos in the eastern Aegean after crossing from Turkey. The southern arrivals included people found on Chryssi, an uninhabited island off Crete, and others rescued at sea or located on beaches.
Crete’s temporary shelters face mounting pressure
About 2,000 people were staying at temporary accommodation sites across Crete, local outlet Ekriti reported Wednesday. Its figures included approximately 835 at the old refrigeration building and surrounding area at Heraklion’s port, nearly 700 at the former AGREX facility in Ierapetra and another 490 at Agyia, near Chania.
At AGREX, people were sheltering in tents and truck trailers, with some finding cover beneath the trailers, according to the report. Public broadcaster ERT separately reported that 692 people were expected to spend Tuesday night at the site, describing inadequate infrastructure and staffing.
Ierapetra’s deputy mayor for civil protection, Giorgos Kougioumoutzakis, told Radio Lasithi that the municipality had proposed using a passenger ship with cabins and bathrooms for temporary accommodation. He said the ministry instead directed local officials to await the planned facility at Athanatoi, near Heraklion, without giving a firm timetable for transfers from Ierapetra.
Arrivals continued Tuesday. In a bulletin issued Wednesday, the Coast Guard reported 53 people picked up from Koufonisi, southeast of Crete, another 41 found at Stena beach and 32 who landed at Kokkini Ammos. Those groups were taken to Ierapetra, Heraklion and Rethymno, respectively.
The latest operations follow the rescue of 152 people off Crete on October 23 and repeated boat arrivals along the island’s southern coast.
October brought about 4,500 arrivals to Crete
Speaking to OPEN television on October 30, Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris put arrivals on Crete at about 21,000 during the year, compared with roughly 7,000 in the Aegean. He estimated that approximately 4,500 people had reached Crete during October, describing it as the most difficult month.
The figures reflect the growing importance of the migration route from eastern Libya to Crete and Gavdos. Recent Coast Guard statements record passengers saying they departed from the Tobruk area and paid intermediaries for passage to Greece.
UNHCR data covering sea arrivals through August listed Sudan and Bangladesh as the largest countries of origin, followed by Afghanistan and Egypt. Those figures describe where people originated, which can differ from the country where they boarded a boat.
Government pursues return hubs as rights safeguards face scrutiny
Plevris has maintained that current arrival levels remain manageable, while acknowledging the increased pressure on Crete. Athens is also working with Germany, Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands on plans for return hubs outside the European Union.
The proposed facilities would receive people who have no legal right to remain in the bloc. Greece’s migration ministry says the arrangements must comply with European and international law. The discussions do not amount to confirmation that a facility is already operating.
At the same time, the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency has highlighted gaps in Greece’s border safeguards, including concerns over access to asylum procedures and investigations into alleged pushbacks.
