Boats Sink Off Greece & Turkey, Dozens Of Migrants Dead

At least seven individuals, including three children, were killed when a boat carrying migrants from Turkey to a nearby Greek island capsized, according to Greece’s coast guard.

Nine people were killed in what seemed to be a different sinking in the same region, according to Turkish authorities.

According to reports, the two incidents happened in the narrow Aegean Sea between the Turkish shore and the Greek island of Lesbos a few hours apart, and neither side was aware of the other country’s rescue operations.

Greece’s coast guard said a dinghy carrying migrants began taking on water and 23 people were rescued while the bodies of three women, two boys, one girl, and one man were recovered. The survivors were taken to a migrant camp on the island. The search and rescue operation continued into Thursday afternoon as the exact number of people who had been on board the dinghy was unclear.

The weather in the area was reported to have been good.

The nationalities of those on board were not immediately known.

Separately in Turkey, the Canakkale governor’s office said the Turkish coast guard received an emergency call for help from a migrant boat and deployed three boats and a helicopter.

The statement said that nine bodies had been recovered and the search for one missing person continued, while 25 people were rescued.

Greece is one of the main entry points into the European Union for people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, with many making the short but often treacherous journey from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands in inflatable dinghies or other small boats.

Many are unseaworthy or set out in bad weather, and fatal accidents have been common.

The Greek government has cracked down with increased patrols at sea, and many smuggling rings have shifted their operations south, using larger boats to transport people from the northern coast of Africa to southern Greece.

According to data from the UN refugee agency, over 7,700 migrants crossed Greece’s narrow land border with Turkey last year, and over 54,000 traveled to Greece via what has come to be known as the Eastern Mediterranean route.

A total of 125 individuals were reported missing or killed. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, since the beginning of 2025, slightly over 8,000 people have arrived in Greece via sea, and 755 have arrived by land as of March 30.