Portuguese Maritime Police rescue 190 migrants near Gavdos, Greece

The Portuguese Maritime Police have rescued a total of 190 migrants over three days near the Greek island of Gavdos as part of the ‘Joint Operation (JO) Greece 2026’. This mission is coordinated by Frontex to support the Hellenic Coast Guard in monitoring the European Union’s external maritime borders.

On Sunday, October 11, officers intercepted a vessel approximately 18 nautical miles southwest of Gavdos, rescuing 45 people, including 42 men, two women, and one child. Among the rescued was a pregnant woman. All individuals were reported to be in good physical condition and were transported to the port of Karave.

This follows two previous rescues in the same area. On Saturday, 43 men—40 from Bangladesh and three from Sudan—were rescued. On Friday, 102 migrants (91 men, 10 women, and one child) were saved from two separate vessels located about 31 nautical miles south of Gavdos. Those rescued on Friday were transferred to Crete by the Greek Coast Guard.