One person has died and 25 remain missing following the disaster
A Hellenic Coast Guard vessel patrols Greek waters in January 2023 (Image: Getty)
A huge search and rescue operation is under way after a migrant boat believed to be carrying 77 people sank off a Greek island. One person has died and 25 remain missing following the disaster near the island of Gavdos, south of Crete.
At least 51 people have been rescued, according to Greece‘s coastguard. A coastguard spokesman said on Monday: “Fifty-one were picked up by two boats that were in the area.” Survivors told authorities that 77 people had been on board the vessel when it sank near Gavdos. A major operation has since been launched to find those still missing, involving four ships and boats, a Frontex aircraft and a coastguard helicopter, according to Greek public broadcaster ERT News. Strong winds in the area have been hampering the search.
Migrants rescued off Crete and Gavdos arrive at Lavrio Port in July 2025 (Image: Getty)
The 51 people rescued from the sea were due to be taken to Crete, “where the prescribed procedures will be followed”, ERT reported.
Crete and Gavdos, which lie around 200 miles from the Libyan coast, have become a major entry point into Greece for asylum seekers.
Figures published by Greece’s ANA news agency in late August, citing the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, showed migrant arrivals had fallen by around 31 per cent.
Around 61,000 people arrived in Greece in the year to August 2025, compared with approximately 42,000 during the following 12 months.
In July, Greece’s conservative government suspended asylum claims for three months for migrants arriving by sea from North Africa. The government argued the measure would help deter crossings.
Migrants rescued off Crete and Gavdos in July 2025, key entry points into Greece (Image: Getty)
The ban was approved by parliament following a surge in asylum seekers reaching Crete and after talks with Libya’s Benghazi-based government aimed at stemming arrivals were cancelled in July.
The Greek government is also at odds with regional authorities in Crete over plans for a permanent transit facility on the island.
Draft legislation is being prepared which would require imprisonment for people whose asylum applications are rejected and the use of ankle monitors during a 30-day compliance period before deportation.
Greece has also been holding discussions with Germany and several other European Union countries over plans to establish “return hubs” outside the bloc to process migrants’ claims.
Undocumented migrants arriving in Crete generally face immediate arrest and temporary confinement before being transferred to closed detention camps on the Greek mainland.