The European Union border agency Frontex is focusing surveillance efforts on the Greek island of Crete. Migrant crossings from Libya surged in 2025 despite a broader 26% drop in irregular migration to Europe. The longer Libya to Crete route is now one of the Mediterranean’s deadliest corridors. It relies on overcrowded, barely seaworthy boats making a dayslong journey across open sea. About 20,000 migrants arrived in Crete last year, tripling previous figures. A United Nations migration agency estimates there were at least 2,185 deaths and disappearances in the Mediterranean in 2025.
