Greek Coast Guard Recovers 12 Bodies From Migrant Boat South of Crete

Greek authorities recovered 12 bodies from a migrant vessel found south of Crete on Monday morning. A passing Moroccan-flagged cargo ship rescued 18 people from that same boat, according to the coast guard. The vessel was located approximately 15 nautical miles south of the island.

Coast guard officials stated that no immediate information was available regarding the identities of the deceased or the specific circumstances of their deaths. The boat was discovered in the southern Mediterranean waters near the Greek island.

Two additional boats were found in the same area on Monday. One carried approximately 47 people and the other held about 40. An aircraft from the European Union’s border agency, Frontex, spotted the first vessel. A Frontex drone identified the second boat.

Frontex crews rescued everyone on board both additional vessels. The agency reported that the migrants are being transported to a port on the southern coast of Crete.

Greece serves as a primary entry point for individuals fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Thousands make the sea crossing from North Africa, typically from Libya to Crete, in recent months. Others travel from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, often using unseaworthy inflatable dinghies.

In October, 12 people, including an infant, died when two boats traveling from Turkey to the islands of Lesbos and Samos capsized. Frontex identified the eastern Mediterranean as the busiest route for migrants entering the 27-nation European Union in October.

Irregular border crossings into the bloc fell by one-third so far this year. The agency recorded around 31,800 crossings in the first three quarters of 2026. This figure represents a 15% decrease compared with the same period last year. The corridor from Libya to Crete remained the busiest section, surpassing the eastern Aegean islands and the land border with Turkey.