More than 600 migrants were rescued in two separate operations off the southern coast of Greece overnight and into early Friday, highlighting a growing trend of human smuggling via longer and more dangerous sea routes across the Mediterranean. The Greek coast guard said the first vessel, a wooden fishing boat carrying 352 people, was located about 30 nautical miles south of the tiny island of Gavdos. The rescue was carried out by a FRONTEX patrol vessel, supported by a Greek coast guard boat and four nearby civilian ships.
A second boat, discovered about 50 nautical miles south of Crete, was carrying 278 migrants who were rescued by a passing Portuguese-flagged cargo ship. In both cases, the rescued individuals were transported safely to Crete. Authorities did not immediately release information on the nationalities of the migrants aboard either vessel.
The rescues come amid intensified maritime activity in the region. On Thursday, the Greek coast guard reported spotting two additional migrant boats in nearby waters. One, carrying 73 men, was found south of Gavdos, while the other, located near the southern coast of Crete, held 26 people, including a woman and three minors. The passengers on the smaller boat said they had departed from Tobruk, Libya the previous evening and had paid smugglers approximately €4,000 (about US$5,500) each for the voyage. Two Sudanese teenagers, aged 16 and 19, were arrested after fellow passengers identified them as the operators of the boat, and they now face migrant smuggling charges.
Greece has long served as a gateway into the European Union for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. While arrivals from Turkey have historically dominated, recent months have seen an uptick in boats departing from North Africa, particularly Libya, as smugglers adapt to increased patrols in the eastern Aegean. According to the UN refugee agency, over 60,000 people arrived in Greece in 2024, the vast majority by sea—up from about 48,000 in 2023. As of June 15, 2025, more than 16,290 migrants have arrived, with over 14,600 of them traveling by sea.
The increasing use of larger, overcrowded fishing boats on the longer and riskier Mediterranean route is raising alarms among European officials and human rights groups. Authorities warn that while this shift may bypass some patrol zones, it dramatically raises the risk of maritime disaster. The latest rescues off Greece’s southern coast underscore the urgent need for coordinated international action to address the growing crisis and dismantle the smuggling networks profiting from human desperation.