22 die trying to reach Greek island amid new migrant surge

At least 22 people died in two days in migrant boats trying to reach the Greek island of Crete, authorities said Monday, warning of a migrant "crisis" on the island.

Twelve bodies were found Monday on one boat off Crete's southern coast -- a magnet for arrivals from Libya, the coastguard said. Another body was found in the sea and one of 18 people rescued from the boat died in hospital, a coastguard spokesman told AFP.

The agency said the boat appeared to have been at sea for several days and autopsies would determine the cause of the deaths.

With high winds whipping up waves, eight bodies were found on another boat in the same zone 10 nautical miles off southern Crete on Sunday, the coast guard said.

Twenty-eight Sudanese nationals were taken off the boat, according to port authorities.

Survivors told investigators they had left Libya on November 3 or 4.

Two of the Sudanese, one aged 16, have been arrested on suspicion of people smuggling, authorities said.

In total, 105 people were rescued from three different boats on Monday by the Greek coastguard and the European Union's Frontex border agency, port authorities said.

Last week, a major operation was launched to find 59 people declared missing by a survivor after a boat capsized off Crete. No bodies have been found.

Migrants gather on a pier on the island of Crete after a rescue operation. By Costas METAXAKIS (AFP)

Crete has become a key entry point for migrants trying to reach Europe by making the dangerous crossing from Libya.

The UN's International Organization for Migration has said the growing number of attempted crossings has exposed gaps in search and rescue capabilities.

Greece's Migration Minister Thanos Plevris, a right-wing hardliner on immigration, said Friday that the country was preparing for "a crisis in Crete".

He said there had been 1,700 arrivals in the first three days of November alone and condemned the "total lack of cooperation" by Libyan authorities to stop the migrant boats.

In response to that influx, the government has announced plans to open a temporary housing complex near Heraklion, the island's largest city.

According to the United Nations refugee agency, more than 37,000 migrants have arrived in Greece in 2026 so far. More than 22,000 of those people landed on Crete, the country's largest island.