Greece is sending navy ships near Libya’s coast to stop the rising number of migrants arriving on its southern islands, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Monday. The country will deploy two navy frigates and one support vessel to waters just outside Libya’s territory. This move is aimed at preventing migrant boats from reaching Crete and Gavdos, two Greek islands that have seen a sharp rise in arrivals in recent days.
More than 800 migrants have attempted to reach these islands since last Thursday, mainly coming from northeastern Libya, where smugglers are launching boats packed with people from places like Sudan, Egypt, and Bangladesh. Many of these migrants are fleeing conflict or poverty in their home countries and hope to reach Europe for a better life.
Although Mitsotakis didn’t provide full details on what the Greek navy ships will do, he said the operation will be carried out in cooperation with Libyan authorities and European forces already present in the region. He made it clear that the goal is to send a strong message to human traffickers: they will not decide who gets to enter Greece.
“I have asked the Defence Minister to make sure Greek navy ships are deployed to this area. We want to act early and send a clear message that traffickers cannot control our borders,” Mitsotakis told Greek President Constantine Tassoulas, explaining that the situation was discussed during Greece’s National Security and Defence Council meeting on Sunday.
According to two government officials who spoke to Reuters, the navy ships will be leaving Greece very soon. The move shows that Athens is stepping up efforts to manage a new migration route that has become more active recently.
Since the migration crisis of 2015, when nearly one million people arrived on Greek islands from Turkey, Greece has remained a major entry point for migrants and refugees heading to Europe. Over time, the number of arrivals from Turkey has dropped significantly due to stricter border controls. However, there has been a new rise in migrants coming from Libya, especially through the Tobruk-to-Crete route, which is now used more often during the calm summer seas.
Many of these migrants are from war-torn Sudan, fleeing through Egypt before reaching Libya. Others include Bangladeshi and Egyptian nationals, who are also using Libya as a transit point to reach Europe. These new patterns have led to ongoing discussions between Greece and Egypt on how to better manage the rising numbers.
Greece’s ties with Libya have been difficult in recent years, especially after a 2019 maritime agreement between the Libyan government and Turkey, which caused diplomatic tension. However, both countries are now trying to improve relations as they cooperate on security and migration control.
By deploying its navy off Libya’s coast, Greece is aiming to stop the boats before they even begin the journey, especially during the summer months when the sea is calmer and easier to cross. The country also hopes this move will reduce pressure on its islands during the peak of the tourist season, a time when resources are already stretched.