Greek authorities have rescued hundreds of migrants in a series of operations off Crete and in the Aegean Sea over the Christmas period, including one incident in which the coast guard has been searching for a missing child.
A total of around 830 people were picked up in recent days during multiple rescue operations south of Crete, according to Greek officials.
Nearly 400 migrants were rescued on Friday (December 26) alone in operations involving fishing boats and patrol vessels from the Greek coast guard, and the EU border agency Frontex, as reported by Greek media.
Last Saturday (December 27), coast guard teams rescued another 131 migrants from a fishing boat located about 14 nautical miles south of the small island of Gavdos near Crete.
On Christmas Day (December 25), 39 migrants were rescued from an inflatable boat off southern Crete, and were subsequently taken to the village of Kaloi Limenes for processing and emergency accommodation. No details have so far been released about their nationalities.
Earlier in December, another such migrant vessel that had departed from Tobruk was found drifting off Crete with 17 people dead, most of them hailing from Sudan or Egypt. Another 15 people were reported missing, with only two survivors found.
Authorities said that in all these instances dozens of people were crowded onto each small vessel far beyond their safe capacity -- in some cases more than 100 at a time, including a number of women and minors.
Migrants are often left without adequate food, water or life-saving equipment during the voyage.
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Departures from Libya
According to the Greek coast guard, many of those rescued south of Crete had departed from the Libyan port city of Tobruk, paying smugglers large sums of money for the roughly 300-kilometer irregular journey across the open sea.
The crossing, which can take several days in overcrowded and often unseaworthy boats, is considered one of the most dangerous routes into the European Union, particularly during winter months, when waves can easily overwhelm such small vessels.
Greek authorities said the vessels involved in recent arrivals were typically fishing boats or inflatable craft not designed to travel long distances.
Several people meanwhile were arrested on suspicion of people smuggling in connection with the crossings, the coast guard said.
Those detained are believed to have been involved in organizing or piloting the boats, as Greek authorities continue to target smuggling networks operating between Libya and southern Europe.
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Crete sees record arrivals
Crete has recorded more than 18,000 refugee and migrant arrivals in 2025, according to the Greek coast guard -- marking a sharp rise from around 5,000 arrivals last year.
The growing number of arrivals has also increased pressure on local authorities and reception systems.
In July, Greece's conservative government suspended the processing of asylum applications for three months, particularly for people arriving from Libya, calling the move “absolutely necessary” -- a decision which has been criticized by various humanitarian organizations.
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Christmas Day search for missing child
In a separate incident on December 25, Greek authorities launched a major search operation for a missing child after rescuing 52 migrants in the eastern Aegean, local media reported.
Thirteen migrants were found on the small, uninhabited island of Farmakonisi, but one boy from the group was reported missing, according to the ANA news agency.
Two coast guard vessels and an airforce helicopter were deployed in the search operation near the island, which lies opposite the Turkish coast.
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with AFP, EFE