Thirteen migrants die after boat sinks off Crete

A boat carrying migrants tragically sank off the coast of Crete, resulting in the deaths of at least 13 individuals. The coastguard managed to rescue 18 people, all of whom were Sudanese nationals, with four survivors requiring hospitalization, including a toddler. The cause of the tragedy remains unclear, but authorities suspect the vessel had been adrift for several days and faced challenges reaching land due to intense winds.

Crete has long been a crucial entry point for migrants intending to reach Europe from the Middle East and North Africa, accounting for over 22,000 out of the 86,400 sea arrivals this year alone. A coastguard official, speaking anonymously to Reuters, reported that the survivors were shivering from the cold. The sinking was observed by a Moroccan-flagged container ship approximately 15 nautical miles off Crete's coastline.

The Greek coastguard also rescued a total of 187 individuals in three separate incidents off Greece's shores on the same day. This year, more than 37,000 migrants have arrived in Greece, surpassing the total number who arrived in all of 2025. The Greek government has unveiled plans to manage the influx, including the construction of a temporary housing complex near the Cretan capital, Heraklion.

Historically, Greece was a focal point of Europe's migration crisis between 2015-16, with nearly a million people arriving on its islands, primarily from Turkey. However, arrivals have dwindled as border controls have tightened, but crossings from Libya have increased in recent years, especially among refugees fleeing conflict in Sudan and pursuing better economic prospects in nations like Bangladesh.