US EditionTwenty-two migrants die off Greek coast after six days at sea
A rubber boat carrying migrants from Libya drifted for six days off Crete, causing 22 deaths from exhaustion; 26 survivors were rescued and two suspected smugglers arrested.
- On Saturday, March 28, 2026, the Hellenic Coast Guard reported 22 migrants died after six days at sea in a rubber boat off Crete, while a Frontex European border agency vessel rescued 26 survivors.
- Survivors reported departing Tobruk, Libya, on March 21, each paying smugglers up to 8,660 euros, but the boat lost its bearings and drifted without food or water for six days.
- Rescued migrants testified that traffickers ordered them to throw bodies into the sea, prompting Greek authorities to arrest two South Sudanese men, aged 19 and 22, suspected of human trafficking.
- An European Union commission spokesperson said these tragedies "highlight once more the urgency to intensify the work with partner countries" against smugglers, as the European Parliament endorsed creating "return hubs" to tighten migration policy.
- International Organization for Migration data shows 559 people died in the Mediterranean during January and February, more than double last year, reflecting escalating danger for migrants fleeing conflict in Africa and the Middle East.
106 Articles
106 Articles
After this ship had lost its orientation, it stranded on the Mediterranean Sea for six days – without water and food.
After this ship had lost its orientation, it stranded on the Mediterranean Sea for six days – without water and food.
For days, a dinghy with dozens of migrants drove across the Mediterranean – without drinking water. As survivors reported, dead passengers were thrown overboard.
The boat drifted for days incapacitated in the Mediterranean, survivors said. They had thrown the deceased overboard.
Because their tugboat became incapacitated, 48 migrants wandered the Mediterranean for several days. Due to lack of food, at least 22 of them are dead.
Six days without water, helpless at sea: a migrant boat wanders over the Mediterranean Sea. Survivors report how they threw their dead fellow travelers overboard.
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