Even by the standards of Greek islands, the island of Gavdos in the Libyan Sea is tiny. Its population is less than 70 people and only two families with four children live there. The rest are old people living alone, the island’s mayor, Lilian Stefanakis, told The Guardian. Now, due to its location, it has been chosen as a target by smugglers who transport refugees from Africa.
Athens
7:16 a.m March 28, 2024
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Beach with houses on the island of Gavdos | Photo: DPphoto | Source: Profimedia
Only one school, one bakery, two minimarkets and four taverns operate in this microcosm during the winter. The remote island, which is separated from Crete by the unpredictable waters of the Libyan Sea, is guarded by Efsevios Daskalakis – for most of the year the only local policeman.
Lately, however, life on Gavdos has been a little less peaceful than usual. “The weekend before last, 150 people came to us from Libya on three very overcrowded boats,” says the island’s mayor, Lilian Stefanakis, according to The Guardian. “We are under pressure because we do not have the necessary infrastructure on Gavdos to accommodate them,” he adds.
The 29-square-kilometer islet, located at the southernmost tip of Europe and closer to Africa than Athens, has become the latest target for smugglers who use high bribes to get migrants to Europe.
A new smuggling route?
According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, of the 9,502 men, women and children who have applied for asylum in Greece since January this year, 1,186 Egyptians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis arrived in Gavdos or nearby Crete.
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In the same three-month period last year, there were exactly zero arrivals on both islands, which has now raised fears in Greece that a new smuggling route may be created in the Mediterranean.
“It’s unbelievable, more than 800 human beings have landed on our shores in a few months on Tripiti Beach,” says police officer Daskalakis, pointing to the rocky outcrop at the southernmost point of the island.
“Mostly young men arrive, who sail across the sea for a day and a half on boats whose capacity is at least four times exceeded,” he adds.
It is said that the arrivals were often obviously exhausted after the dangerous 180-kilometer journey from the Libyan port of Tobruk. “The first thing they do is call the international emergency number 112, which means the central office will alert me. There is no road to the coast, so I have to walk down there if the sea is too rough. Normally on Tripiti, I only meet tourists taking pictures of the famous rocky outcrop,” says Daskalakis.
The deal with Egypt helped
Until March 17, when the European Union concluded a migration agreement with Egypt worth 7.4 billion euros (187 billion crowns), ships arrived one after the other.
“Every two or three days there were one or two ships,” says the police officer. “But since the Greek prime minister and other European officials went to Cairo to sign the agreement, there has been a noticeable slowdown. It’s a relief, but on the other hand, no one knows exactly how long the break will last,” Daskalakis points out.
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Greece, like Italy, pushed hard for the agreement despite the opinion of human rights organizations, which rejected the deal with Egypt. The number of people arriving in Greece has increased by 187 percent since January 1, according to local authorities.
“No country or local community should be alone in dealing with the arrival of refugees,” said Stella Nanos, spokeswoman for the Athens branch of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. “The numbers we are seeing are still manageable, but quick coordination and support from the Greek and EU authorities is needed,” says Nanos.
Greek Migration Minister Dimitris Kairidis will visit the island of Gavdos this weekend to ensure the site does not become what he called a “hotbed of illegal migration”. “We are witnessing criminal networks of smugglers putting more and more of these unfortunate people on boats that are unseaworthy and should never have left the Libyan coast,” the minister told The Guardian.
Kairidis highlighted the importance of the three-year deal between the EU and Egypt, insisting that the most populous Arab country has not only played a key role in stemming illegal migration, but also deserves help to strengthen its fragile economy if another migration crisis in Europe is to be averted.
CTK
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