Twelve migrants, including an infant, died in two separate speedboat capsizings off the Greek islands of Lesbos and Samos, Greece’s coast guard said on Monday. The incidents prompted Greece’s Maritime Affairs Minister Vasilis Kikilias to express “sorrow and rage,” calling the deaths a “criminal act of modern-day slave traders.”
Six people died when a speedboat carrying Syrian and Palestinian migrants struck a Greek coast guard vessel and capsized south of Lesbos late Sunday. The dead included four men, one woman, and an infant. Eight people were rescued, including an individual detained as a suspected people smuggler.
Another speedboat capsized north of the island of Samos at dawn on Monday, resulting in the deaths of five men and one woman. Approximately 15 people were rescued, and an Iranian man was arrested as a suspected people smuggler. Greece’s coast guard is continuing to search for three missing passengers.
Greece’s stance on human smuggling
Minister Kikilias reiterated Greece’s firm stance against human trafficking, stating, “Our position is clear: zero tolerance for people smugglers.”
Greece is a primary entry point into the European Union for people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Many undertake the short but often perilous journey from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands in inflatable dinghies or other small boats.
EU migrant crossings decline
The European Union’s border control agency Frontex reported on Monday that irregular border crossings into the 27-nation bloc decreased by approximately one-third in the first nine months of 2026 compared to the same period last year. Over 91,000 crossings were recorded during this period.
The eastern Mediterranean remained the busiest route, with about 31,800 crossings recorded, a 15 percent decrease from the previous year. Frontex Executive Director Hans Leijtens noted that while numbers may decline, “smuggling networks do not disappear, they shift and wait for opportunities.”
Risks for Nepali migrants in Greece
These incidents highlight the ongoing risks for Nepali migrants in Greece. Migranto estimates that approximately 70 Nepalis were in Greece in 2024. A 2025 report indicated a growing number of Nepalis seeking employment in Europe, with Greece being one destination.
Some Nepalis in Greece work illegally and face poor working and living conditions. A February 2026 report revealed that many Nepali migrants lack valid passports and are exploited by human traffickers. The Nepali community has called for government intervention due to the absence of a Nepali embassy in Greece.
In a 2024 human trafficking case involving a 25-year-old Nepali worker, the victim was either held in administrative detention or repatriated without activating legal protection mechanisms. The Nepal government has yet to establish a reliable system for repatriating the bodies of Nepalis who die abroad.
Ongoing search and unanswered questions
The Greek coast guard continues its search for the three missing passengers from the Lesbos and Samos incidents. The nationalities of the missing passengers and the arrested human traffickers, as well as their affiliations with criminal networks, remain unclear.
