Lavender, a Greek Treasure Since Ancient Times
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Greece will deploy navy warships in the international waters off Libya to stem illegal immigration to the country, PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Monday.
Mitsotakis briefed the President of the Hellenic Republic Constantine Tassoulas, on the surge in immigrant crossings across the Mediterranean towards the Greek islands of Crete and Gavdos.
“Unfortunately, we have seen several incidents in recent days that force us to act in a preventive and deterrent manner more strongly,” the Greek PM said.
“I have asked the Minister of National Defense and the leadership of the armed forces to ensure that Hellenic Navy ships are deployed outside of Libya’s territorial waters so that, preventively and always in cooperation with the Libyan authorities and the other European forces, we can send a message that the smugglers are not going to dictate who enters our country.
“I think it is a move that is necessary under the current circumstances and obviously the issue of Libya will be raised by me with great urgency at the European Council next Thursday and I believe that there will be relevant conclusions that will fully cover the Greek positions,” he added.
Last week, over 400 migrants landed on the small island of Gavdos near Crete, a new entry point increasingly used by migrant smugglers in the past months.
The migrants arrived in separate groups over 24 hours, with the largest including over 350 people off Gavdos. Τhe migrants’ fishing boat was detected by the EU border agency Frontex the day before. A Greek Coast Guard vessel and four nearby cargo ships participated in the rescue operation. The migrants were transferred to a temporary reception center in Palaiochora on Crete for registration and identification.
In late May, over 500 migrants were rescued off the coast of Crete and Gavdos. Several of the migrants stated they had departed from Libya, having paid between 150,000 and 200,000 Egyptian pounds—equivalent to roughly $3,000 to $4,000—for the dangerous crossing.
Many boats depart from the Libyan coast, specifically the port of Tobruk. The distance between Tobruk and southern Crete is approximately 180 nautical miles. This is one of the most perilous sea routes in the Mediterranean. Migrants are crammed into old fishing boats or small vessels, often enduring a journey of at least two days on open seas without food or life-saving equipment.
Greek authorities say that, more often than not, boats that set sail from the port of Tobruk, Libya, enter Greek territorial waters and then send out an SOS signal to be rescued by the Hellenic Coast Guard. The boats are ominously frail, and occupants are not provided with food or life-saving equipment.
