At least 21 migrants and refugees have died while attempting to reach the Greek island of Crete, following several rescue operations conducted off the island’s southern coast, according to Greek authorities.

The Greek Coast Guard said 12 bodies were recovered from a boat spotted by a Morocco-flagged container ship south of Crete early on Monday, November 9, 2026. Eighteen people were rescued during the operation, but one of the survivors later died after being taken to hospital, bringing the death toll from the incident to 13.

Authorities said the boat may have spent several days at sea, with strong winds believed to have made it difficult for those on board to reach the shore. However, the exact circumstances surrounding the deaths had not been established.

In a separate incident on Saturday evening, the Greek Coast Guard recovered eight bodies from another boat carrying migrants and refugees off southern Crete. Twenty-eight people were rescued, while two others remained missing.

Rescue operations also involved two additional boats carrying approximately 47 and 40 people respectively. The European Union’s border agency, Frontex, deployed an aircraft and an unmanned drone to locate the vessels before survivors were transported to a port on Crete’s southern coast.

Crete has increasingly become an important entry point into the European Union for people travelling from parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia in search of safety and better living conditions.

The latest deaths highlight the dangers faced by people attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea through irregular migration routes, where difficult weather conditions and lengthy journeys can put lives at risk.

Despite the continued loss of life, migration figures show a decline in irregular crossings into the European Union. Frontex reported approximately 31,800 irregular border crossings during the first nine months of 2026, representing a 15 percent decrease compared with the same period in 2025.

The agency also reported that crossings into the bloc were down by about a third so far this year, although the figures underline that dangerous sea journeys towards Europe continue.

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