Greek Coast Guard Searches for Missing Migrants After Boat Found Adrift
A partially deflated and waterlogged rubber boat, adrift in rough seas southwest of Crete, became the scene of another grim Mediterranean tragedy over the weekend. Greek authorities discovered the vessel on Saturday with the bodies of 17 men on board and launched a search for 15 more people reported missing after falling into the water.
The boat, which had left the Libyan port of Tobruk just days earlier, was carrying 34 migrants, primarily from Sudan and Egypt. According to two survivors rescued by the Greek coast guard, the craft’s motor failed on Thursday as severe storms battered the region. With no shelter, food, or water, the vessel became unstable in the high seas, leading to the desperate situation where 15 people were swept overboard.
The survivors reported drifting for two days before being spotted by a Turkish-flagged cargo ship on Saturday. This triggered a multinational search operation involving Greek coast guard vessels, aircraft, and resources from the EU border agency, Frontex. Post-mortem examinations are underway to determine the exact cause of death for the 17 men found on board, with early reports suggesting hypothermia or dehydration.
This incident highlights the persistent and deadly shift in migration routes towards the longer and more hazardous journey from Libya to Crete, as migrants seek alternative paths into the European Union. The UN refugee agency notes that more than 16,770 asylum seekers have arrived on Crete since the start of the year—more than on any Aegean island.
The tragedy unfolds against a backdrop of hardening immigration policies. On the same day as the search continued, EU member states endorsed a significant tightening of asylum rules, including plans to establish “return hubs” outside the bloc for failed asylum-seekers. Greece’s conservative government has also intensified its stance, recently suspending the processing of asylum claims for new arrivals from Libya for three months.
As the Greek coast guard continues its search in challenging conditions, this event is a stark reminder of the extreme human cost borne by those fleeing conflict and poverty, and of the perilous reality behind the statistics of Mediterranean migration.
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