Athens, April 3, 2025: At least seven people, including a boy, a girl, and two women, have died after a migrant boat capsized off the coast of the Greek island of Lesbos.
According to Greece’s coastguard, a patrol boat spotted the vessel early Thursday morning in the northern part of the island. While 23 migrants have been rescued, the total number of passengers aboard remains unknown, and search and rescue efforts are ongoing.
Greece has been a key entry point for migrants and refugees, with 54,000 people arriving on its shores in 2024 alone. The country previously saw a mass influx of nearly 1 million migrants in 2015, mainly from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
This incident comes just days after a similar tragedy off the Canary Islands, where up to 50 migrants, including 44 Pakistanis, are feared dead after their boat sank while attempting to reach Spain from West Africa.
The boat, which departed Mauritania on January 2 with 86 migrants aboard, had been missing for several days before authorities were alerted. Moroccan officials rescued 36 survivors on Wednesday.
Migrant rights group Walking Borders has reported a record number of migrant deaths in 2024, with 10,457 fatalities recorded on the route to Spain alone.
These repeated disasters highlight the ongoing risks faced by migrants attempting dangerous sea crossings in search of safety and a better life.
