EditGreece to deploy naval vessels off Libya to stop flood of migrants
Migration is among the issues EU leaders will discuss during the European Council on Thursday
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the deployment of two frigates and a support vessel off Libya’s territorial waters to address escalating migrant flows to Greece’s southern islands, particularly Crete and Gavdos.
The decision, finalised during a National Security Council (KYSEA) meeting on 22 June, aims to deter human trafficking networks exploiting the Libya-Crete route amid rising regional instability.
As Greece braces for potential migration surges, the success of its naval deployment will hinge on effective coordination with Libyan authorities and European partners, alongside careful navigation of humanitarian and legal concerns. The mission reflects Greece’s resolve to counter organized trafficking networks while addressing the complex interplay of regional conflicts and migration challenges.
Strategic response to rising migrant arrivals
Greece has seen a sharp increase in migrant arrivals from northeastern Libya, with over 800 individuals, primarily from Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, attempting to reach its southern islands since 19 June. The 180-nautical-mile route from Tobruk, Libya, to Crete has become a favored pathway for smugglers, particularly during the calm summer months, which coincide with Greece’s peak tourism season. Local authorities report that these arrivals strain small island economies, with 731 migrants, including families and children, landing on Crete and Gavdos in a single 24-hour period last week.
The National Security Council determined that the surge represents a structural shift rather than a temporary spike, prompting robust countermeasures to prevent Crete from becoming Europe’s new migration gateway. The frigates’ advanced surveillance capabilities will enable earlier detection of smuggling vessels, facilitating faster Coast Guard intervention and deterring trafficking operations.
“I have instructed the Defense Ministry to deploy Greek Navy vessels off Libya’s waters to send a clear message: traffickers will not dictate who enters our country,” Mitsotakis told President Konstantinos Tasoulas. He added that will raise the issue at the upcoming EU Summit.
The vessels are set to depart in the coming days, with operations focusing on surveillance and deterrence. Cooperation with Libyan authorities may involve coordination with militia forces under General Khalifa Haftar, who controls eastern Libya, despite strained Greece-Libya relations since a 2019 Libya-Turkey maritime accord.
At the same time a Turkish Defence Ministry source, speaking anonymously to Reuters, confirmed that Turkey has heightened security measures along its border with Iran due to the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. No influx of illegal migrants from Iran has been observed, the source noted.
Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis will visit Libya in early July to prioritise migration in bilateral talks. Migration and Asylum Minister Makis Voridis emphasized the urgency of an agreement, offering Libyan authorities boats, radar systems, and drones to enhance coastline surveillance and enable swift interception of migrant vessels.
Regional instability and migration pressures
The deployment comes amid heightened Middle East tensions following U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities on 22 June. The National Security Council expressed “deep concern” over the escalating conflict, with government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis calling for deescalation and reaffirming Greece’s opposition to Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. The Shipping Ministry advised Greek-flagged vessels to remain in safe ports until conditions stabilize.
In the meantime, Former Bulgarian Deputy Defense Minister Yordan Bozhilov warned that Iran’s response – potentially involving proxy groups like Hezbollah, the Houthis, and militias in Iraq, as well as cyberattacks and disruptions to trade routes like the Strait of Hormuz, could destabilize the region further, driving migration.
“If internal instability or civil war erupts in Iran, the refugee wave will impact Europe, including Greece and Bulgaria,” Bozhilov noted.
Risks and humanitarian concerns
However, the naval mission carries risks. The Hellenic Coast Guard is under investigation for an episode that went wrong off the coast of Pylos in June 2023. Prosecutors in Greece have charged 17 crewmembers from the responding Hellenic Coast Guard cutter for allegedly capsising a migrant vessel in an attempt to tow it away from Greek waters. At least 82 people died in the casualty, and potentially as many as 500; survivors alleged that the authorities attempted a coverup. The agency denies any wrongdoing. The rules of engagement for the new mission remain undisclosed, raising questions about the safety and legality of intercepting migrant boats.
Greece is intensifying bilateral talks with Egypt and Libya to address the spike in Egyptian and Sudanese nationals arriving via Libya. Athens is encountering difficulties to strengthen anti-smuggling cooperation. The deployment underscores Greece’s commitment to securing its borders as regional turmoil threatens to exacerbate migration pressures.
It is not clear to what extent EU leaders are conscious of the potential of the Middle East war to trigger another massive refugee crisis. EU leaders will meet on Thursday, with migration among the issues on the agenda.
Sources: BGNES, Reuters, Kathimerini, edited by a.k.
Caption: Migrants on the Island of Rhodes, Dodecanese, Greece, wait outside the Police Station in the center of the Rhodes city, Greece, 24 October 2024. EPA/LEFTERIS DAMIANIDIS
Updated: June 24, 2025 - 11:34
