At least seven people, including one boy, one girl, and two women, have died after their migrant boat sank off the coast of the Greek island of Lesbos.
According to Greece’s coastguard, the vessel was spotted by a patrol boat early on Thursday morning in the northern part of the island.
Rescue teams have so far saved 23 migrants, but the total number of passengers aboard the boat remains unclear. The search and rescue operation is ongoing.
Greece, a key entry point for migrants and refugees, has seen a significant number of arrivals in recent years, with 54,000 people reaching its shores in 2024.
In 2015, the country witnessed nearly 1 million arrivals, primarily from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
Earlier, a tragic incident off the coast of the Canary Islands may have led to the deaths of up to 50 migrants, including 44 Pakistanis, after their boat sank while attempting to reach Spain from West Africa.
The boat, which departed Mauritania on January 2 with 86 migrants on board, went missing for several days before authorities were alerted. Moroccan authorities rescued 36 survivors on Wednesday.
Walking Borders, a migrant rights group, reported that the tragedy was part of a larger wave of migrants trying to cross the Atlantic.
The NGO also highlighted the record number of migrant deaths in 2024, with 10,457 people dying on the route to Spain.
