At least 22 migrants die off Greece after 6 days at sea

Survivors tell authorities the bodies of those who died were thrown overboard by people smugglers.At least 22 migrants died off the coast of Greece after six days at sea in a rubber boat, rekindling attention on the risks people take to cross to Europe despite tighter restrictions.Citing survivors’ accounts and a statement from the coastguard, 22 people died and their bodies were thrown into the sea.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Italy advances migration bill, including naval blockadeslist 2 of 3EU votes to allow deportation of migrants to ‘safe’ third countrieslist 3 of 3Two babies among 53 people dead or missing after boat capsizes off Libyaend of listTwo survivors were taken to hospital in Heraklion on Crete, the coastguard said.Based on survivor statements, the coastguard said the boat left Tobruk, a port city in eastern Libya, on March 21 bound for Greece, the gateway for many migrants chasing asylum in the European Union.“During the journey, the passengers lost their bearings and remained at sea for six days without food or water,” the coastguard said.The bodies of those who died “were thrown into the sea on the orders of one of the smugglers”, it added.Greek authorities arrested two South Sudanese men, aged 19 and 22, believed to be the people smugglers.Meanwhile, the Greek coastguard said 26 people, including a woman and a minor, were rescued by a Frontex European Union Agency vessel off the island of Crete.Thousands of people attempt the perilous crossing from Libya to Europe over the Mediterranean each year.Libya has become a transit route for people fleeing conflict and poverty to Europe since the fall in 2011 of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi.According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 16,770 people seeking asylum in Europe arrived in Crete in 2025. At least 107 people have died or gone missing in Greek waters during the same period.