Migrant boats in South Crete

More over 900 refugees and migrants have arrived in the south of Crete in the last two months, far exceeding the number of around 600 people who arrived irregularly in the area all of last year.

The port and local authorities in both Crete and Gavdos have been on alert for the last few months, as the boats arriving – especially when the weather is good – are continuous. It is indicative that within a period of three days, five incidents took place with dozens of refugees and immigrants reaching the Greek shores. In fact, the latter concerned 112 migrants, who were located in the sea area 40 nautical miles south of Gavdos, were rounded up by a cargo ship and transported to Souda. Mostly young people and mainly men are the ones who “dare” the extremely dangerous journey.

“Unfortunately, it’s a situation that seems to be consolidating. Wooden or plastic boats, unfit for sailing, that you wonder how they can fit so many people, cover a distance of about 150 miles from the coast of Africa until they reach our country. From the testimonies of the migrants, we know that tens of thousands are waiting in warehouses on the African coast, ready to board boats and start the journey”, Vassilis, the president of the Union of Coast Guard Personnel of Western Crete, explains to “NEA” Katsikandarakis.

The situation, as he adds, is particularly critical, as on the one hand increased flows are recorded, on the other hand there is zero infrastructure. “In Gavdos, where the immigrants stay from a few hours to a few days, there is absolutely nothing. In Chania, on the other hand, the immigrants are accommodated in two inappropriate places: in the area of ​​a children’s camp and in the passenger station in Souda, i.e. in the area of ​​the cruise, where the control takes place. There are 114 refugees and immigrants, in an area no larger than 80 square meters.”

It is worth noting that in the interview he gave to “NEA” a few days ago, the Minister of Immigration and Asylum Dimitris Kairidis conveyed the concerns of the government about the situation which seems to be gaining momentum since the autumn. “Greece is one of the very few countries in Europe that can be faced with multiple migration corridors, such as the eastern Mediterranean corridor from Turkey and the central Mediterranean corridor from Libya. The flows from Eastern Libya remain small, but given the situation there, the economic crisis in Egypt and the wider unrest, there can only be a strong concern,” he said.

That is why the matter was raised at the last meeting of KYSEA the day before yesterday and contacts will be planned with the Egyptian government and President Sisi, for its management.

As the president of the Coast Guard Personnel Union of Western Crete points out, this whole situation becomes more difficult if one considers that their service is understaffed. “We had been reporting on the understaffing long before flows picked up. We, the few, are not prepared to handle what is happening. When we see that the weather conditions are good, we know what work we have to do. And we’re still at the end of February.

What will happen when the weather “opens up?”, asks V. Katsikandarakis, noting that in the announcement issued by the Union last week, an exaggerated reference was made to Lampedusa. “The way things are going, unfortunately we will soon be talking about reality,” he concludes. Meanwhile, in the week of February 12-18, 1,171 people arrived on the Aegean islands, with the daily average reaching 167. Arrivals by sea, according to UNHCR data, are more from those of the previous week, which were 915.