ATHENS, Greece — At least twelve migrants lost their lives in separate speedboat capsizings off the Greek islands of Lesbos and Samos, according to a statement from Greece’s coast guard on Monday. Among the deceased was an infant.
Six people died late Sunday when a speedboat carrying Syrian and Palestinian migrants collided with the port side of a Greek coast guard vessel using its bow, then capsized south of Lesbos, a coast guard spokesperson said on condition of anonymity.
Among those killed were four men, one woman, and an infant. Eight other people were rescued, including a suspect detained on charges of people smuggling.
A second speedboat capsized north of Samos around dawn on Monday, killing five men and one woman. Approximately fifteen people have been rescued thus far, including an Iranian man suspected of serving as a people smuggler.
According to the spokesperson, a coast guard vessel and helicopter remained on scene Monday searching for three additional missing passengers.
Greek Maritime Affairs Minister Vasilis Kikilias voiced “sorrow and rage” over the Lesbos capsizing in a post on X, describing the loss of six lives as a “criminal act of modern-day slave traders.”
“Our position is clear: zero tolerance for people smugglers,” Kikilias stated.
Greece remains a primary entry point into the European Union for individuals fleeing conflict and poverty across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Many undertake the short but frequently perilous crossing from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands aboard inflatable dinghies and other small vessels.
Frontex, the EU’s border control agency, reported Monday that while irregular crossings into the 27-member bloc have fallen by roughly one-third this year, the eastern Mediterranean remains the busiest route.
The agency recorded approximately 31,800 crossings during the first three quarters of 2026, a 15 percent decrease compared with the same period last year. The Libya-to-Crete corridor accounted for the highest volume on the route, surpassing the eastern Aegean islands and the land border with Türkiye; Cyprus represented a smaller portion.