File photo. [InTime News]
Greek authorities rescued 242 migrants in five separate incidents involving six boats south of Crete on Thursday, up until the afternoon hours, highlighting a sharp rise in migration flows from Libya.
According to the Hellenic Coast Guard, 65 people were transferred to the port of Agia Galini, 139 to Kaloi Limenes and 38 to Palaiochora following rescue operations carried out within a few hours.
Official figures show that migrant arrivals from Libya to the islet Gavdos, south of Crete, and southern Crete increased by more than 50% in May compared with the previous month. Cumulative arrivals between January and May 2026 were also up 23% compared with the same period last year.
Amid growing pressure on migration routes in the eastern Mediterranean, the Greek government is expected to complete the transfer of three used patrol vessels to eastern Libya’s coast guard later this month, aiming to strengthen efforts to curb departures from the Libyan coast, primarily Tobruk, toward Gavdos and Crete.
