In two separate maritime incidents in the Aegean Sea, twelve migrants lost their lives. These incidents occurred last night, and Greek coast guard officials announced more details about these events.
First Incident and Casualties
In the first incident, six people, including four men, one woman, and one infant, died off the coast of Lesbos. According to coast guard officials, this incident occurred when a speedboat carrying migrants collided with the left side of a police patrol boat.
Read more: Meloni Supported the Police Against Cost of Living Protests
Second Incident and Survivors
In the second incident, six more people, including five men and one woman, drowned off the coast of Samos. In this incident, fourteen people were rescued from the boat. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing in the area.
Greek authorities have reported that among the survivors of the first incident, a 37-year-old Turkish citizen has been arrested as a suspected smuggler and boat operator. Greece's Minister for Maritime Transport and Island Policy, Vassilis Kikilias, has held smugglers responsible for all these deaths and stated in a post on the social media platform X: "Our position is non-negotiable: zero tolerance for smugglers."
Situation of Migrants in Greece
Greece is known as a gateway to Europe for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. These individuals typically begin perilous sea journeys from Turkey. According to reports from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the number of refugee arrivals in Greece has decreased this year. As of October 11, 2026, approximately 25,000 entries have been recorded, a significant decrease compared to 42,000 entries in 2025.
During the 2015/2016 migration crisis, nearly one million migrants and refugees reached the shores of Greece, most of whom came from Turkey. These recent incidents have once again drawn global attention to the dangers of maritime journeys for migrants.
Read more: France Arrested 2,400 People After Unrest and Thefts · A Florida Deputy and a Woman Were Killed in a Fatal Road Accident
