Greek authorities said 12 migrants died in two boat incidents off Lesbos and Samos on Monday, with both vessels capsizing during coast guard pursuits in the Aegean Sea, Reuters reported.
Authorities said a migrant boat overturned near Lesbos during a coast guard pursuit after the vessels collided. Six people died, including an infant, and eight survivors were taken to a hospital. Authorities arrested a 37-year-old Turkish national among the survivors on suspicion of operating the vessel and smuggling migrants.
Greek Shipping Minister Vassilis Kikilias said preliminary evidence indicated the speedboat’s bow struck the left side of the coast guard vessel. He said the circumstances were still being investigated. In a post on X, Kikilias said Greece had “zero tolerance for smugglers.”
Near Samos, a speedboat made a sudden maneuver and overturned, the Greek coast guard said. Five men and one woman died. Rescuers found 14 surviving men and continued searching the area. Reuters reported that authorities arrested an Iranian survivor on suspicion of migrant smuggling.
Human rights groups have accused Greece of forcing migrants and asylum-seekers back across its land and sea borders. Greece denies the allegations and says its coast guard respects human life and rights. During the 2015-16 migration crisis, nearly 1 million people reached Greek islands, mainly from Turkey. Migrants and refugees from Asia, Africa and the Middle East have used Greek islands to enter Europe.
The Lesbos collision remained under investigation, while search-and-rescue efforts continued near Samos, authorities said.
