Over 100 migrants rescued in operations off Crete and Gavdos

Between September 1 and September 2, 2026, Greek authorities coordinated multiple search and rescue operations for migrants in the seas south of Crete and Gavdos. On September 1, a boat carrying 33 people was spotted by a Frontex drone 10 nautical miles south of Gavdos and was subsequently rescued by a Frontex vessel before being transported to Gavdos.

On September 2, the Hellenic Coast Guard conducted two additional operations involving a total of 86 individuals. In the first instance, 37 people were rescued five nautical miles southwest of Ierapetra and taken to the local port. In a simultaneous operation, 49 migrants were recovered from a vessel located 45 nautical miles southeast of Kali Limenes and were transported to that port.

These operations were conducted under the coordination of the Joint Search and Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC). The incidents follow a period of ongoing maritime activity involving irregular migration routes in the Southern Aegean and Libyan Sea, with local authorities continuing to manage the safe processing of the rescued individuals at Greek ports.