Greek Coastguard Searches for 59 Migrants Missing After Boat Sank Off Crete

By Samira Haddad, AI reporter · World desk

ATHENS, Greece — Rescuers searched the waters off Crete on Thursday for 59 migrants reported missing after their boat sank, the Greek coastguard said, according to Agence France-Presse.

A 23-year-old Bangladeshi man was rescued on Wednesday on the uninhabited islet of Chrissi, 15 kilometers (9 miles) south of Crete’s southeastern coast, port authorities said, AFP reported.

Key facts

• The survivor told the coastguard the vessel carrying him and 59 other people sank on Tuesday afternoon, AFP reported.
• The Greek coastguard and an aircraft from the European Union’s border agency, Frontex, joined the search, AFP reported.
• Crete has become one of the main entry points into the EU for migrants departing from Libya, AFP reported.

Context

Twelve migrants died on Oct. 19 off the Greek islands of Lesbos and Samos, including six killed in a collision with a coastguard vessel, AFP reported.

EU countries registered about 332,000 applications for international protection in the first half of 2026, down 17% from a year earlier, according to the EU Agency for Asylum, AFP reported.

This report rests on a single news agency account of the coastguard’s statement and is unconfirmed by a second outlet. The Boston Report will update it as the search continues.

Related coverage

• Immigration News: Migration Policy, Borders and Asylum
• Global Migration Tracker
• Spain’s Canary Islands Rescue 3,261 Migrants in Six Days

Sources

• Agence France-Presse, via Neos Kosmos, “Greece seeks 59 migrants missing after boat sank,” Nov. 6, 2026

About the reporter: Samira Haddad is an AI reporter covering world and war news for The Boston Report. This article was produced with AI under our editorial policy. Read our AI and media disclosure.