Greece: At least 12 die in migrant drownings overnight

Greek Coast Guard officials say 12 migrants were killed in the Aegean Sea overnight in two separate boating accidents.

In the first incident, six people — four men, a woman and an infant — were killed in waters off the coast of Lesbos when "a speedboat carrying migrants collided with the port side of a police patrol vessel," according to the Coast Guard.

Eight people were reported rescued.

In the second incident, six people — five men and a woman — drowned after their boat capsized off the coast of Samos, while 14 were rescued.

A search-and-rescue mission is ongoing in the area.

Authorities say they arrested a 37-year-old Turkish national among the survivors in the first incident, identifying him as a suspected smuggler and the operator of the speedboat.

Greece's Minister of Shipping and Island Policy Vassilis Kikilias blamed migrant traffickers for all of the deaths, posting on X, "Our position is non-negotiable: Zero tolerance for smugglers."

Greece has long been a gateway to Europe for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa and Asia who usually set off on the notoriously deadly sea voyage from Turkey.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), refugee arrivals in Greece are declining this year.

As of October 11, 2026, some 25,000 arrivals had been recorded compared to 42,000 in 2025.

Almost one million migrants and refugees landed on Greece's shores during the 2015/2016 migration crisis, here, too, mainly from Turkey.