A survivor reported that a boat carrying around 60 people sank south of Crete. The search for those missing comes as migrant arrivals on Crete and Gavdos increase, putting pressure on local authorities and reception facilities.
A search and rescue operation continued off the southern coast of Crete into Thursday (November 5) morning after a man reported that a boat carrying about 60 migrants and asylum seekers had sunk, leaving him as the sole survivor.
The man was found near the island of Chrysi. He told coast guard officers that he had been aboard the vessel with around 60 other people when it sank, local news website Cretalive reported.
Greece’s Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) is coordinating the search, with two coast guard patrol boats, nearby vessels and a Frontex aircraft taking part.
Westerly to northwesterly winds of force 5 to 6 are hampering rescue efforts.
Authorities have so far found no trace of the boat or its other passengers. The search for possible survivors and missing people is continuing.
Authorities struggle with number of Crete arrivals
More than 850 migrants reached Greek shores on Monday (November 2), most of them crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa to Crete, according to authorities.
Migrant arrivals on Crete and Gavdos are continuing, with hundreds of people reaching the islands' southern beaches each day. A total of 1,326 migrants arrived between Sunday and midday Tuesday, coast guard sources told Greek news website eKathemerini.
"Things are dramatic," the sources said. "They come to steep beaches and many times we search for them for hours in the night with a flashlight."
Local opposition has delayed the opening of an official shelter, leaving more than 650 people at a site used for parking garbage trucks, 835 crowded at Heraklion port and about 500 in Agia, Hania.
Around 2,000 migrants arrived in October 2025, compared with more than 5,000 in October this year.
Read AlsoGreece: Crete migrant arrival numbers in 2026 outstrip whole of 2025 by November
Minister rules out third facility in Ierapetra as arrivals surge on Crete
Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris said on Wednesday (November 4) that only two migrant facilities will operate on Crete, ruling out plans for a third center in Ierapetra.
In a post on X, Plevris said the facility in Hania is already operating, while the one in Heraklion is expected to open in the coming days.
The clarification comes as migrant arrivals on Crete and the nearby island of Gavdos have increased signficantly in recent days, with hundreds of people reaching southern beaches each day.
"To avoid misinterpretations, the Migration Ministry’s facilities in Crete will be two," he wrote.
Plevris also denied that a facility was being planned in Ierapetra, saying he had already clarified the issue in remarks to Parliament.
He said equipment sent to Ierapetra, including tents, was intended for emergencies involving large numbers of arrivals. It would allow authorities to temporarily accommodate migrants before transferring them to the existing facilities, he added.
Read AlsoGreece: New migrant arrivals in Gavdos take 2026 arrival tally to over 35,000