Greece's coast guard recovered the bodies of 12 migrants from a boat found sailing south of Crete early on Monday. The service also rescued 18 survivors from the same vessel, according to The Straits Times and Arab News, both citing the coast guard.
The boat was located roughly 15 nautical miles off the port of Kaloi Limenes, the coast guard said. The cause of death was not immediately known, the coast guard told Reuters.
In two other incidents off Crete on Monday, a Frontex aircraft spotted a boat carrying about 47 people and a Frontex drone located a second vessel with roughly 40 people aboard, the coast guard said, as reported by The Independent. All those on board were rescued and were being taken to ports on the island's southern coast.
Greece remains a primary entry point into the EU for people fleeing war and hardship across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, The Independent reported. In recent months, crossings from northeastern Libya to Crete have surged, while the shorter but often equally dangerous route from Turkey to the eastern Aegean islands continues.
In October, Frontex said the eastern Mediterranean ranked as the top route for irregular border crossings into the 27-nation bloc, with the Libya-to-Crete corridor the most active section, according to The Independent. The agency recorded around 31,800 crossings during the first nine months of 2026, a 15% drop from the same period last year.
Last month, 12 people, including an infant, died when two boats traveling from Turkey to Lesbos and Samos capsized, the coast guard said.