Greece rescues 23 migrants near Lesbos as pressure on migration routes increases

Greece rescued 23 migrants from a dinghy near the island of Lesbos in the eastern Aegean Sea on Tuesday, just days after at least seven people died when another migrant vessel sank in Greek waters, the authorities said.

On Sunday, a boat carrying migrants sank off of the island of Gavdos. Some 39 migrants were rescued from the sinking vessel while other operations saved at least 150 others. Seven bodies have been recovered while dozens remain missing, the coastguard said.

Greece’s government says migrant arrivals have increased by up to 35% since autumn last year. While most migrants travel the short distance between the Turkish mainland and nearby Greek islands such as Lesbos, a larger number now make the perilous 300 kilometer journey from the Libyan coast to the islands of Crete and Gavdos, officials said.

Greek Migration Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos said that pressure on eastern Mediterranean migration routes was expected to persist through 2025. 

Speaking during a parliamentary budget debate on Sunday, he highlighted multiple crises forcing people to flee. 

"The extensive geopolitical unrest in our broader region — where three wars are raging, the most recent in Syria — combined with the climate crisis, is forcing people to abandon their homes simply to survive," Panagiotopoulos said. 

"All these factors are leading to a significant increase in migrant and refugee flows since late 2023," he added. 

Greek government data indicates that illegal migrant arrivals in the country are likely to exceed 60,000 this year. Syrians make up the largest group, followed by Afghans, Egyptians, Eritreans, and Palestinians. 

Greece has temporarily suspended issuing final asylum decisions for Syrian applicants, following the fall of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad earlier this month. Officials say the primary reason for claims — persecution by the al-Assad regime — may no longer apply.

While new applications are still being accepted, decisions are paused while conditions in Syria are reassessed, according to government officials.