Migrant vessel rescue: 12 dead, 18 saved off Crete
Greek coast guard and Frontex teams recovered bodies and survivors from three boats in the Mediterranean on Monday morning.
By Alexei Brooks ·
The eastern Mediterranean serves as a primary maritime entry point for people fleeing conflict and economic hardship. On Monday morning, Greek authorities reported a fatal incident south of Crete involving a migrant boat.
Twelve bodies were recovered from a vessel found approximately 15 nautical miles south of the island. An 18-person rescue operation was conducted by a passing Moroccan-flagged cargo ship. The Greek coast guard confirmed the location of the incident but stated that the identities of the deceased and the specific causes of death were not immediately available.
Two additional boats were located in the same area during the morning. One vessel carried approximately 47 people and was spotted by an aircraft from the European Union's border agency, Frontex. A second boat, holding about 40 people, was detected by a Frontex drone. Personnel from the agency rescued everyone on both vessels and transported them to a port on the southern coast of Crete.
The sea crossing from Libya to Crete remains the most active route for migrants entering the European Union. This corridor is currently busier than the eastern Aegean islands route or the land border with Turkey. In the previous month, a similar tragedy occurred in the Aegean Sea when two boats capsized during a crossing from Turkey to the islands of Lesbos and Samos. That incident resulted in the deaths of 12 people, including an infant.
Frontex data from October indicates that the eastern Mediterranean was the busiest route for irregular border crossings into the 27-nation bloc. However, the total number of crossings has decreased compared to the previous year. The agency recorded approximately 31,800 crossings in the first three quarters of 2026. This figure represents a 15% decline when compared to the same period in 2025.
