A surge of migrants flows has been recorded in the south of Crete in the last couple of days proving that the stricter migration law of minister Thanos Plevris does not hinder the poor devils of this world from seeking a better future.
The small island of Gavdos is under great pressure, as boats and dinghies keep arriving from the Libyan coast on a daily basis, with the arriving people reaching over 1,100 since last weekend.
Over 350 people were rescued by the Frontex, the Greek Coast Guard and commercial ships on Sunday alone, when boats carrying migrants were spotted off Gavdos.
On Tuesday morning, another 109 migrants were rescued in two operations carried out within a few hours. The people were located on dinghies also in the sea area south of Gavdos.
All migrants were transported to the port of Sfakia on Crete, the island that sees its facilities to host rescued migrants get tested as the can only accommodate people for no longer than three days.
According to local cretalive.gr, on the southern side of Gavdos, at Trypiti beach, several abandoned boats were found, an indication of the activity of smugglers who seem to be using the island as a new crossing.
The Joint Search and Rescue Coordination Center (EKSED) is on full alert.
Pushing away or helping?
On Saturday, a boat with dozens of people on board arrived on the northern side of Gavdos island, at Sarakiniko beach.
A video circulated on social networks show bathers trying to push the boat away with their hands before it reached the shore. The video has a caption “You came in vain, kids. Have a good return.”
@alexanagn4 #gavdos2025 ♬ πρωτότυπος ήχος – alexanagn
According to another but unconfirmed version, though, the bathers were helping to get the boat off the sand at Sarakiniko and sail further to Karave, the only port on Gavdos. Otherwise they would have to walk for kilometers in the sun.
Eventually, the operation was completed by a Frontex vessel, which transported the migrants to the port.
UPDATE
Meanwhile, eyewitnesses told media that the bathers were helping the boats and not the other way around.according to the testimony of a bather at Sarakiniko beach on the island, the reality is different. Speaking to Flashnews.gr, a man who was present at the incident said: “When the bathers saw the boat approaching the shore, we told them in English not to disembark at the beach but to go to the port of Gavdos where the authorities receive the immigrants. We told them “to the port, to the port”. Besides, if they got off at Sarakiniko it would take a long time to walk to reach the port. They immediately wanted to leave to go to the port, but because the boat was stuck in the sand, three bathers helped the boat to untie itself and sail towards the port of Karave, where it finally arrived.”
Moreover, the eyewitness added to the local media that, frontex ships were also present in a close distance.
Efforts to decongest the facility in Agia
The temporary accommodation area for migrants in Agia near Chania in western Crete is in “suffocation” as at least 1,000 people are currently staying there.
The decongestion of the area has already begun yesterday, Monday, with 200 people leaving by ship in order to be transferred to a structure in the Greek mainland. The transfer of the 200 migrants was decided as part of the decongestion plan of Migration & Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris so that migrants can leave the island cretapost.gr reported.
Miserable Living Conditions
According to the same news website, there are currently hundreds of migrants living in miserable conditions as there are only two showers and one toilet in the Agia facility.
In addition, the air conditioning is not sufficient for so many people and there is a risk of a health “bomb”.
At the same time, authorities fear any incidents that may occur in the Agia area due to the many days of stay of the immigrants in these living conditions.
Minister Plevris has committed to the departure of all immigrants
Minister threatens with even stricter migration measures
Minister of Migration and Asylum, Thanos Plevris, stated that the decongestion of Gavdos has already begun, with the aim of transferring all new arrivals to special detention facilities in the coming days. He emphasized that “these are not accommodation structures but confinement facilities, as people are under administrative detention.”
Regarding the approximately 850 arrivals over the weekend, the minister noted that it is being examined whether this is a one-off event or a coordinated action. He also pointed out that while the flows in the eastern Aegean are decreasing, a new entry channel seems to be opening in Crete.
Finally, he announced the strengthening of surveillance in the Libyan maritime area in cooperation with the Coast Guard and the Ministry of Defense, warning that if the arrivals continue at the same intensity, even stricter measures will be taken.
Anyway, the acting Foreign Minister of the temporary government of Libya is scheduled to pay a visit to Athens, tomorrow, Wednesday.
But can government agreements and promises prohibit illegal migration, as Greece hopes from Libya? Hardly…
