Pleuris says Greece is preparing for a migration crisis in Crete
Greece’s Minister of Migration and Asylum, Thanos Pleuris, said on Friday that the government is preparing for a possible migration crisis in Crete, as a new reception facility near Athanatoi is set to begin operating next week amid a sharp rise in arrivals from Libya.
Speaking on ANT1 on Friday morning, Pleuris said the Athanatoi facility is expected to start receiving migrants from next week, though it will not initially operate at full capacity. He also said upgrade works are planned at both of Crete’s reception facilities, at Athanatoi and at Agia, and that these interventions will continue through the winter.
The minister linked the new facilities directly to mounting pressure on southern Crete, where arrivals from Libya have risen significantly in recent months.
1,700 arrivals from Libya in three days
Pleuris described a gradual escalation in migration flows that he said peaked after the signing of the Turkey-Libya memorandum. According to the minister, arrivals remained elevated through July, rose again from August and continued through September. October marked a further peak, he said, with an even larger surge recorded during the first three days of November, when 1,700 migrants arrived from Libya.
Pleuris attributed the sustained rise in departures to the Libyan state’s inability to effectively control migration flows, as well as to corruption. He said that after the approval of the Turkey-Libya memorandum, there was a substantial change in the stance of Libyan authorities.
“We now see a lack of cooperation. Before we saw an inability to prevent [departures], but in these three days we saw the absence of any effort,” Pleuris said, describing the situation on the sea routes from North Africa to Crete.
Over 6,000 returns in first ten months of the year
On the handling of migration flows, the minister presented figures on deportations, saying that returns have exceeded 6,000 in the first ten months of the year, a number higher than the total recorded for the whole of 2025.
According to Pleuris, return operations have been carried out to Egypt and Pakistan, among other destinations, and four charter flights to Bangladesh have already been organized. He noted the particular difficulty of these operations, saying flights can last up to 22 hours and require a significant number of police officers; as an example, he said transporting 60 migrants requires 120 officers.
Vienna announcements on reception centers outside Europe
Pleuris also previewed developments on plans to create migrant reception centers outside European territory. He said related announcements will be made in Vienna on November 16, revealing the country involved in the plan and its exact implementation timeline.
According to the minister, the start of the planning process is set for January, initially on a pilot basis.
Crete-Cyprus power cable and national sovereignty
Pleuris also addressed the Crete-Cyprus electricity interconnection cable, sending a message regarding Greece’s stance toward any possible reactions. He said the country will proceed with the process based on national sovereignty and international legality, stressing that any reaction on matters of sovereign rights would be met with a response.
“Greece is starting the process in accordance with national sovereignty and international legality. Greece will respond to any reaction. Nothing will go unanswered on matters of national sovereignty, and we will see that in the field,” he said.
The minister’s statements outline government planning on two parallel fronts: strengthening reception infrastructure in Crete and addressing increased migration pressure from Libya.
