The migrants travelled for a day-and-a-half before being met by coastguard crews.
Migrants continue to arrive on boats. (Image: Getty)
Over 400 migrants arrived on an island within a 24-hour period this week. It is reported the arrivals paid around $4,000 (£3,000) to make the journey which took a day-and-a-half. They were met by coastguard crews who picked up two boats in trouble in the water. Authorities in Greece have confirmed the arrival of 400 migrants in Crete on Wednesday (October 21). They reportedly travelled across the Mediterranean Sea from the Tobruk area of eastern Libya.
The coastguard said two small boats were picked up from troubled waters south of the island during the early hours of the morning. A further seven boats then reached Crete or the small island of Gavdos located further south. It is estimated that out of the 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.
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.
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.
Greece continues to receive a significant number of migrants. (Image: Getty)
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. Meanwhile, 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.