Deadly migrant crossing claims 20 lives off Greek island
- 40 rescued from boats south of Crete
At least 20 people died aboard two boats carrying migrants attempting to reach Europe after they were found south of the Greek island of Crete, the Greek coast guard said on Monday.
The bodies of eight people were recovered from one vessel and 12 from the other, while another 40 migrants were rescued from the two boats, authorities said. The identities of the victims and the circumstances surrounding their deaths were not immediately known.
According to the coast guard, one of the vessels was spotted sailing about 15 nautical miles (28 kilometres) south of Crete on Monday morning. Greece remains a major entry point into Europe for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Although the country has stepped up maritime and border patrols since the 2015-2016 migrant crisis, arrivals from northeastern Libya towards Crete have increased. Despite irregular migrant crossings into the European Union falling by a third this year, the eastern Mediterranean remained the bloc’s busiest migration route, according to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, in October.
The busiest stretch of the route was between Libya and Crete, followed by the eastern Aegean islands and the land border between Greece and Turkey. Migrant boats frequently encounter difficulties or sink during the dangerous sea journey to Europe, resulting in loss of life.
