ASEP: 420 Coast Guard recruits on the way

The Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy is moving forward with strengthening the Coast Guard and Hellenic Coast Guard with 420 new personnel through a process to be carried out by ASEP. The minister of shipping, Vasilis Kikilas, highlighted the reinforcement with new staff and the upgrade of the agency’s operational capabilities in a recent interview.

The recruitment is linked to a provision voted on June 9, 2026, as part of the legislation by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum to implement the Migration and Asylum Pact. An amendment provided for filling vacant Coast Guard positions using a scoring system, an exceptional procedure used when there is urgent staffing need.

This system differs from the established procedure, as it does not require participation in nationwide exams. Selection is made by scoring formal and substantive qualifications, such as degrees, experience, knowledge of foreign languages, and other criteria to be specified in detail in the announcement. The scoring process is faster, as it is not dependent on the annual cycle of nationwide exams.

The plan, as presented, provides for the enrollment of successful candidates in the academy, four-month studies, and placement in services, with all stages to be completed within 2026. This compressed schedule indicates urgent need to fill vacancies, especially in services with increased operational burden at borders and in island regions, where significant staff shortages are recorded.

However, there is also a special provision that differentiates new coast guards from their colleagues. For those recruited through scoring, the time spent at the Coast Guard rank for promotion is increased by three years of actual service compared to those recruited through nationwide exams.

The exact terms, required qualifications, documentation, scoring method, and application submission deadlines will be determined in ASEP’s official announcement, which is expected. Interested parties are urged to monitor ASEP and Ministry of Shipping announcements, as deadlines in similar announcements are usually short and submissions are made exclusively electronically.

The Coast Guard’s reinforcement is linked to the increased operational burden of recent years, particularly in managing migration flows in the Aegean and Crete, but also in maritime policing and medical transfers during the summer period. See related articles on medical transfers from Thassos, Kasos and Fourni and 8,000 DYPA positions for unemployed over 55.