22 Migrants Die at Sea; Greece Arrests Suspected Smugglers

Greek authorities said at least 22 migrants died during a nearly week-long ordeal at sea after a rubber boat set out from eastern Libya toward Greece. Two men have been detained as suspected smugglers following a rescue operation off Crete that brought 26 people to safety.

 

The rescue was carried out by a vessel from Frontex, the European Union’s border agency, in waters near Crete. Greek officials said the survivors included a woman and a minor, and that two people needed urgent medical care and were taken to a hospital in Heraklion.

 

Rescue near Crete and arrests

 

The Greek coastguard said the two detainees are South Sudanese nationals aged 19 and 22. Authorities described them as believed to have been involved in organizing or directing the crossing.

 

In an official account relayed by the coastguard, survivors told investigators that those suspected of running the boat instructed passengers to throw the bodies of the dead into the sea. Officials said the remaining survivors are being interviewed as the investigation continues.

 

What survivors described from the crossing

 

Based on information provided by those rescued, the boat departed Tobruk on March 21 with Greece as its intended destination. The vessel later lost its course and remained adrift for almost six days.

 

Survivors reported that the group had no access to food or water while stranded. Greek authorities said conditions deteriorated quickly and that 22 people died during the journey.

 

Broader Mediterranean context

 

The incident adds to a continuing pattern of deadly, irregular Mediterranean crossings, often involving overcrowded or unseaworthy boats linked to smuggling networks. Libya remains a major departure point for people fleeing conflict and economic hardship across parts of Africa and the Middle East, and its instability since 2011 has been associated with the growth of smuggling activity along its coastline.

 

International agencies have tracked rising casualties. UNHCR has said that, before this event, at least 107 people had died or were missing in Greek waters in 2025, while the International Organization for Migration has also documented fatalities across the region.

 

Policy pressure and uncertainties

 

The deaths come as Greece tightens its approach to arrivals from Libya, including a temporary three-month pause in processing asylum applications for people arriving from that route. The latest case indicates that enforcement changes have not eliminated attempts to reach the European Union by sea.

 

Key details remain unclear from the available official accounts, including the total number of people originally on board and the identities of those who died. Investigators are relying heavily on survivor testimony, and authorities have not publicly detailed the evidence underpinning the arrests beyond those statements.