Crete police unions demand permanent staffing for migration management

Police unions in Crete have issued a joint announcement calling for the Greek state to provide permanent solutions to migration management rather than reassigning existing personnel. The unions are protesting recent instructions to deploy police officers from the four Crete Police Directorates to assist in the transfer of third-country nationals arriving by sea.

While emphasizing that the Hellenic Police and the Hellenic Coast Guard remain on the same side and maintain mutual solidarity, the unions argue that the current practice of using one service's personnel to cover the operational gaps of another is unsustainable. They state that Crete's police services are already at their limits due to high workloads during summer months, including tourism management, airport and port security, road safety, and crime prevention.

Furthermore, the unions noted that extensive roadworks, such as the construction of the Northern Road Axis of Crete, have created additional staffing needs. They are calling on the Ministry of Citizen Protection and relevant authorities to increase the total number of police and coast guard officers on the island to ensure all security needs are met without weakening existing services.