Greece's coast guard service and the European Union's border force Frontex were involved in three separate rescue operations off the Greek coast in the early hours of Monday, rescuing 18 people from a boat carrying migrants hours after 21 people died in two boats off the coast of the island of Crete.
Frontex aircraft located the boats south of the Mediterranean island, which is the biggest of Greece's numerous islands. Surviving foreign nationals were picked up by recovery vessels and taken to the port of Kaloi Limenes.
"Rising arrivals along the eastern Libya-Crete route this year, coupled with gaps in search and rescue capacity, are heightening humanitarian concerns over the risks faced by people making the journey," said a representative of the United Nations' International Organization for Migration.
The Associated Press has quoted figures from Frontex saying that in the first three quarters of this year, around 31,800 crossings were recorded from Libya to Crete, which is the busiest route for migrants attempting entry into the EU, ahead of the eastern Aegean islands or the EU's land frontier with Turkiye.
That figure is 15 percent lower than the same period last year, and overall, so far this year irregular border crossings to enter the EU are down by around one-third.
For Greece as a whole, however, the data make different reading, with figures from the UN quoted by the BBC saying that more than 37,000 migrants have arrived in the country so far this year, which is already more than in the whole of 2025.
The UN's Refugee Agency for Greece posted on X that "at least 20 people have reportedly lost their lives in two incidents off Crete since Friday, while two more are believed missing".
It said: "Over 22,500 people have reached Crete from Libya this year, many Sudanese fleeing a brutal conflict. This devastating loss of life underscores the need to address the causes forcing people to flee, while ensuring rescue at sea, protection and solutions along routes and safe pathways."
The Euronews website reported that on Friday, a boat containing foreign nationals got into difficulty, resulting in the coastal services being called out, and on board were found to be 28 Sudanese nationals and one dead body, with reports that two other people had been lost at sea.
Subsequently, the authorities arrested two Sudanese nationals, aged 16 and 28, who were identified by others on board as the people in charge of the smuggling operation. They have since been charged with offences including forming a criminal organization, illegal entry into the country, facilitating illegal entry, and fatal exposure.
