Greek Minister Thanos Plevris Says Over Half Million Migrants Wait in Libya for Europe

Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris told Greek television that more than half a million migrants and refugees are currently waiting in Libya for a chance to reach Europe.

“Tripoli — Lampedusa, the Italian island, is no longer the first European destination for migrants leaving the Libyan coast as it was a decade ago”

Al-Jazeera Net

The same report tied the pressure on Europe to a 39% decline in irregular crossings to EU countries in the first three months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, citing data from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex).

Al-Jazeera Net

Athens said it is coordinating with Frontex and Libyan authorities to combat human-trafficking gangs and monitor irregular migrant boats before they sail.

The account also said the Greek coast guard rescued 125 irregular migrants off the island of Crete, and that mild weather conditions could mean more boats have left the Libyan coast.

A Frontex-based calculation put irregular arrivals into Europe at 420 per day in the first semester of 2025, with 75.900 unauthorized crossings recorded at the EU’s external borders.

That same account said the EU carried out 28.475 repatri in the first quarter of 2025, or 316 per day between January and March, leaving a daily net difference of 104 irregular migrants staying in Europe.

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It also stated that “four migranti perdono la vita nel Mediterraneo” each day on average while trying to reach Europe, and that 760 deaths in sea were recorded in the first six months of 2025.

Separately, Eunews said Frontex data for 2025 showed irregular border crossings fell 26% to 178 thousand, while the central Mediterranean route remained the most active with 66.328 arrivals.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the maritime route from eastern Libya to the island of Crete has become a direct challenge to Greece and the European Union.

“Bruxelles – Il pugno duro dell’UE sulla migrazione irregolare dà i suoi frutti”

Eunews

He called for intensified cooperation and coordination with Libyan authorities, including supporting the Libyan Coast Guard’s capabilities to confront migrant-smuggling networks and curb irregular migration flows across the Mediterranean.

Al Jazeera Net reported that European and Greek data show a shift toward southern Greece, specifically Crete and Gavdos, with arrivals to Crete and Gavdos exceeding 7,300 migrants in the first half of 2025 compared with around 5,000 migrants for all of 2024.

The same Al Jazeera Net account said Frontex’s annual risk analysis for 2026–2027 noted that the sea corridor between Libya and Crete registered in 2025 an increase in arrivals that more than tripled compared with 2024, with expectations that pressure on this route would continue into 2026.