Twelve migrants found dead in boat off Crete coast
Greek authorities recovered 12 bodies and rescued 18 survivors from a vessel located 28 km south of the island on Monday.
Greek coast guard officials recovered 12 bodies from a boat off the southern coast of Crete early on Monday, according to the Times of India. A passing cargo ship rescued 18 survivors from the same vessel, which was located approximately 15 nautical miles south of the island.
Authorities have not yet released the identities of the deceased or the specific reasons for their deaths. Two additional boats containing 47 and 40 people were also seen sailing south of Crete. All rescued individuals were being transported to a port on the southern coast of the island, the Associated Press reported.
Migration and asylum minister Thanos Plevris stated that 1,700 people arrived from Libya during the first three days of November. Plevris said the government is preparing for a crisis on Crete and noted that a reception facility at Athanati is expected to open next week.
The minister attributed the rise in arrivals to a breakdown in cooperation with Libyan authorities and linked the situation to the Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum. This surge occurs despite a broader decline in irregular migration to Greece and the European Union, according to a European Commission report.
While irregular crossings into Greece fell 23 per cent between July 2025 and June 2026, arrivals on Crete increased by 105 per cent to approximately 21,000. A European official said Greece continues to face disproportionate pressure and qualifies for EU assistance in 2027.