More than 400 migrants reached the Greek island of Crete within a 24-hour period this week, after paying around $4,000 (£3,000) each for a journey that took a day-and-a-half. Greek authorities confirmed the arrivals on Wednesday, October 21.
Coastguard rescues and landings
The migrants travelled across the Mediterranean Sea from the Tobruk area of eastern Libya. Coastguard crews picked up two small boats from troubled waters south of the island during the early hours of the morning. A further seven boats then reached Crete or the smaller island of Gavdos, located further south.
Greece continues to receive a significant number of migrants, and Crete has become its primary maritime gateway. Many arrivals have been driven towards the island due to tightened enforcement and strict sea patrols along the traditional eastern Aegean route.
Arrival figures and UNHCR data
It is estimated that out of roughly 34,000 migrants to have reached Greece this year, around 20,000 have crossed from Libya. Others have arrived from the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and Africa.
According to data from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), over 11,500 migrants reached Crete in the first eight months of 2026. Many came from eastern Libya, with smugglers packing migrants into overcrowded and dangerous boats to cross the Mediterranean Sea.
Government response and detention rules
The authorities remain on high alert, with the Greek government enacting a temporary three-month suspension on all asylum processing for sea arrivals from North Africa. Migrants arriving from Libya are arrested by the coastguard on arrival.
The Greek Migration Ministry has also introduced laws permitting up to two years of detention for illegal entry. Arrivals also face up to five years behind bars for remaining in the country illegally.
During the 2015 migration crisis, it is reported nearly a million people entered Europe through Greece. Most of them crossed from Turkey to the nearby eastern Aegean Sea islands.
