Greece retrieved the bodies ​of 12 dead migrants from a ‌boat sailing off the ​island of Crete early ⁠on Monday (November 9, 2026), its coast guard said.

It was not immediately clear ‌how the migrants died.

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The coast guard rescued ‌another 18 people from ‌the ⁠boat about 15 nautical ⁠miles off the port of Kaloi Limenes and dozens of others in ​two other ‌incidents off Crete, a coast guard official said, adding that they will all be ‌taken ashore.

Greece, for years ​a favoured gateway to Europe for migrants and ⁠refugees from West Asia, Africa and Asia, was ‌at the front line of Europe’s migration crisis in 2015-2016 and nearly 1 million people landed on its islands, mainly from Turkey.

Total ‌migrant arrivals have ebbed since ​Athens has bolstered sea and border patrols⁠, but sea arrivals from northeastern Libya ⁠of migrants trying to cross to Europe ‌through Crete have surged.