Hundreds of asylum seekers rescued in recent days off the coast of Crete are being transferred to reception centres on the Aegean islands of Lesbos and Samos, the Greek migration ministry said Sunday.
Around 200 arrivals were expected on Lesbos and another 200 on Samos, the ministry said, describing the moves as strictly proportionate and limited to identification, screening and control before possible relocation to mainland facilities. Rejected applicants would face deportation proceedings. On Lesbos, the mayor of Mytilene convened a closed-door crisis meeting with local hoteliers.
Crete and the nearby islet of Gavdos have become Greece's main point of entry for asylum seekers over the past year, though the island currently has only provisional accommodation. Migration Minister Thanos Plevris noted a drop of more than 35% in arrivals during the first seven months of 2026. Plevris is also working with counterparts in Germany, Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands to establish return centres outside the European Union for rejected claimants.