More than 750 migrants in Crete in 24 hours, increased flows

On Sunday morning, a group of migrants disembarked on a busy beach in Diskos, west of Lentas, surprising bathers.

Migrant flows continue in Crete in the last 24 hours
At the same time, hundreds of people were rescued in operations by the Coast Guard south of Gavdos and Kala Limena, with the largest operation involving 442 migrants in an overloaded fishing boat, 25 nautical miles southeast of Gavdos.

Detections were also recorded on land: 96 people on Loutra beach and 67 in Lentas, while all those rescued were transferred to first reception points. In total, over 753 people were rescued in less than 48 hours, which demonstrates the continuous pressure exerted on the southern coast of Crete.

442 migrants spent the night in the commercial port of Rethymno
According to information from rethnea.gr, the 442 migrants rescued on the southern coast of Rethymno were transferred to the city's commercial port for temporary accommodation. Their transfer was significantly delayed, as there were discrepancies in the decisions of the competent authorities: Although they had been scheduled to be transferred to Agia Chania, the buses that transported them returned in a hurry, without a clear explanation.

Local authorities in Rethymno expressed strong dissatisfaction and spoke of political interference, denouncing the situation as unmanageable. In anticipation of an intense heat wave in the coming hours, the Port Authority urgently requested the Region and the Municipality to place tents, umbrellas and chemical toilets for the temporary protection of people.

High-ranking officials were present at the scene, including the Port Authority of Rethymno Kyriakos Pattakos, the Police Director Paraskevas Chinopoulos, the Commander of the 7th Regional Port Authority Dimitra Hasioti and the prosecutor. The pressure is now evident not only on the coasts, but also on the ability of the state apparatus to manage the growing needs with humanity and efficiency.