According to reporting from Refugee Support Aegean (RSA) during the first six months of 2026 the arrivals of refugees and asylum seekers in Crete and Gavdos reached 8,552. This made Crete the main getaway into Greece. RSA continues to report absence of suitable reception facilities; rising xenophobia in the public discourse and manifested in negative reactions from residents, associations and business owners; a policy of deterrence in cooperation with Libyan and Egyptian authorities; and criminalisation of refugees.
The RSA report is available here.
Source(s)
- Refugee Support Aegean (15 July, 2026), [Crete - Gavdos: 8,552 refugee arrivals in the first half of 2026 – The issue of safe accommodation remains unresolved ],