Multiple Migrant Boat Tragedies Off Crete Leave 21 Dead

Greece’s coastguard reported that over 100 people were rescued in multiple operations along the southern coast of Crete.

At least 21 people have died attempting to reach the Greek island of Crete, a major transit point for refugees and migrants seeking entry into Europe, authorities said.

The Greek coastguard said it recovered 12 bodies and rescued 18 people from a vessel sighted by a Morocco-flagged container ship south of the island early Monday. Survivors and the deceased were brought to shore, though one person later died in hospital.

The cause of the deaths remains unclear, though Greek authorities said the boat may have been adrift for days, battling strong winds as it struggled to reach shore.

In a separate incident on Saturday evening, the Greek coastguard recovered eight bodies and rescued 28 refugees and migrants from a boat off southern Crete. Two people remain missing.

Two additional vessels—one carrying approximately 47 people and another with about 40 aboard—were also located sailing south of Crete.

The European Union’s border agency, Frontex, deployed an aircraft and an unmanned drone to locate the vessels before transporting survivors to a port on Crete’s southern coast.

Crete has emerged as one of the primary entry points into the European Union for people fleeing conflict and poverty across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

Frontex reported that irregular border crossings into the bloc have fallen by one-third so far this year.

The agency recorded approximately 31,800 crossings in the first three quarters of 2026, a 15 percent decline compared with the same period last year.

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