20 Migrants Dead Off Crete as Greek Coast Guard Recovers 12 Bodies and Rescues 105 in Three Operations

Twenty migrants have died trying to reach the Greek island of Crete in recent days, Greek authorities said on Monday, November 9, 2026. Twelve bodies were recovered from a migrant boat found sailing south of Crete early on Monday, while eight more people died after a second boat sank off the island over the weekend. In three rescue operations overnight, the Greek coast guard and the EU border agency Frontex saved 105 people.

Quick Answer: What Happened Off Crete

Greek authorities recovered 12 bodies from a migrant boat found about 15 nautical miles (28 kilometers) south of Crete early on Monday, November 9, 2026, and rescued 18 survivors from the same vessel. In a separate incident over the weekend, a boat carrying migrants sank off Crete, killing eight people. In all, about 117 people were found in three operations overnight, and 105 were rescued alive. It was not immediately clear how the 12 migrants on the first boat died, and their identities have not been released.

Twelve Bodies Found on a Boat South of Crete

Greek authorities recovered the bodies of 12 people from a boat carrying migrants found sailing south of Greece's island of Crete early on Monday, the coast guard said. A passing Moroccan-flagged container ship spotted the vessel about 15 nautical miles — about 28 kilometers or 18 miles — off Kali Limenes, on the island's southern coast, and rescued 18 people from the same boat. The coast guard then recovered the 12 bodies. No further information was immediately available on the identities of the 12 people who died, or the circumstances of their deaths, and the coast guard said the weather in the area was good at the time.

In two separate operations overnight, a Frontex aircraft spotted a boat carrying about 47 people some 30 nautical miles south of Kali Limenes, and a Frontex drone located another boat with about 40 people on board 31 nautical miles to the southeast. All of the people on those two boats were rescued and taken ashore. In total, about 117 people were found in the three operations, of whom 105 were rescued alive.

Second Sinking: Eight More Dead Over the Weekend

In a separate incident, eight people died after a boat carrying migrants sank off Crete during the weekend, Greece's coast guard said on Monday. Maritime police launched an emergency rescue late on Saturday after the boat issued an alarm signal. About 28 survivors and one body, all Sudanese nationals, were picked up by another boat sailing nearby, transferred to a police vessel and taken to Crete.

During the night from Sunday to Monday, a coast guard rescue vessel found the boat 10 nautical miles south of Crete with seven more bodies still on board, the coast guard said. The supplied material does not say how many people were originally on board the boat, or whether anyone remains missing. Taken together, the two incidents mean 20 migrants have died trying to reach Crete in recent days. Read our earlier report on another deadly migrant crossing here: Senegal Migrant Boat Disaster: At Least 35 Dead as Search Continues Off Kebemer Coast.

Crete Faces a Sharp Rise in Arrivals From Libya

The deaths come amid a sharp increase in migrant arrivals on Crete from Libya, prompting Greece to prepare for a possible migration crisis on the island. Migration and asylum minister Thanos Plevris said 1,700 people had arrived from Libya in the first three days of November alone. Crete has become one of the main entry points into the European Union for migrants departing from Libya and attempting the crossing to Greece.

Greece, for years a favoured gateway to Europe for migrants and refugees from the Middle East, Africa and Asia, was at the front line of Europe's migration crisis in 2015–2016, when nearly 1 million people landed on its islands, mainly from Turkey. The route from Libya to Crete has grown sharply in recent months as smugglers shift away from other crossings. You can follow the latest updates on the Mediterranean migrant crisis here.

What We Know — and What Is Still Unclear

Authorities have not yet said how the 12 people found dead on the first boat died, and no identities have been released. The coast guard said the boat was found in good weather, which raises questions about what went wrong on board. In the second sinking, the coast guard has not said how many people were originally on board, so it is not yet known whether anyone remains missing. Survivors from both incidents are being taken ashore on Crete, where they will be processed by Greek authorities.

The rescues also underline how much of the work now falls to passing commercial ships and Frontex surveillance aircraft and drones, which spotted two of the three boats overnight. As arrivals from Libya keep rising, Greek officials say the pressure on Crete's reception facilities is growing, and the island is bracing for more crossings in the weeks ahead.

Read Also:
• Senegal Migrant Boat Disaster: At Least 35 Dead as Search Continues Off Kebemer Coast
• Egypt Train Crash: 7 Killed and 125 Injured as Two Passenger Trains Collide Near Cairo

Frequently Asked Questions

How many migrants died off Crete?

Twenty migrants have died trying to reach Crete in recent days. Twelve bodies were recovered from a boat found south of the island early on Monday, November 9, 2026, and eight more people died after a second boat sank off Crete over the weekend.

Where was the boat with 12 bodies found?

The boat was found about 15 nautical miles (28 kilometers, or 18 miles) south of Crete, near the port of Kali Limenes on the island's southern coast. A passing Moroccan-flagged container ship spotted the vessel and rescued 18 people from it before the Greek coast guard recovered the 12 bodies.

How many people were rescued off Crete?

About 117 people were found in three operations overnight, and 105 were rescued alive. The 18 survivors from the first boat were joined by about 47 people from a second boat and about 40 from a third, both spotted by Frontex aircraft and drones south of the island.

What happened in the second sinking off Crete?

A boat carrying migrants sank off Crete over the weekend after issuing an alarm signal late on Saturday. About 28 survivors and one body, all Sudanese nationals, were picked up by a nearby boat. During the night from Sunday to Monday, the coast guard found the sunken boat 10 nautical miles south of Crete with seven more bodies on board, bringing that incident's death toll to eight.

Why are so many migrants arriving on Crete?

Crete has become one of the main entry points into the European Union for migrants departing from Libya. Migration minister Thanos Plevris said 1,700 people arrived from Libya in the first three days of November 2026 alone, a sharp increase that has prompted Greece to prepare for a possible migration crisis on the island.

Have the dead migrants been identified?

Not yet. Greek authorities have not released the identities of the 12 people found dead on the first boat, or the circumstances of their deaths. The survivors and one victim from the second sinking were identified as Sudanese nationals.

Sources: Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse. Key facts verified against multiple reports on the migrant boats found south of Crete on November 9, 2026.