Smuggling, power and profit on irregular migration from eastern Libya to Crete
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Irregular crossings from eastern Libya to Crete have surged, with almost 20,000 attempts this year on a route Kathimerini says is now a major corridor into Europe. On 20 October Greek authorities registered 710 people in 14 boats, with hundreds more the next day. Boats often leave near Tobruk; migrants pay up to $4,000 (€3,600) for a trip of about a day and a half. After eastern Libyan forces cracked down on Italy-bound smugglers in 2023, networks switched to smaller boats toward Crete, a shift that ties smugglers to powerful militias and has drawn in groups that once trafficked goods or drugs, analysts say.
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