UPDATE: 12 Migrants Drown in Aegean Sea, Greek Government Says
The Greek government says 12 migrants drowned in the Aegean Sea, with the bodies of six victims recovered so far. Bakr Ali, head of the Returned Refugees Association, told Kurdistan24 that none of the 12 migrants who drowned were Kurdish.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Twelve migrants have drowned in two separate incidents in the Aegean Sea near the Greek islands of Lesbos and Samos, the Greek Coast Guard said on Monday.
The Coast Guard announced on Oct. 19, 2026, that six migrants died near Lesbos after the boat carrying them collided with a police vessel.
A child and four women were among those killed in the collision, according to the Coast Guard. Their bodies were recovered.
In a separate incident near Samos, another six migrants drowned after the small boat they were traveling in capsized.
The Greek Coast Guard did not provide further details in the information available about the identities or nationalities of those who died.
Bakr Ali, head of the Returned Refugees Association, told Kurdistan24 that none of the 12 migrants who drowned were Kurdish.
The Aegean Sea remains one of the principal maritime routes used by migrants attempting to travel from Türkiye to Greece and onward to other European countries.
Many crossings are made in small boats, often under dangerous conditions.
According to the available information, smugglers frequently overload vessels carrying migrants, increasing the risk of capsizing and fatal accidents.
The Greek islands of Lesbos and Samos are among the main destinations on the route because of their proximity to the Turkish coast.
Both areas have repeatedly recorded migrant drowning incidents.
Greek security forces regularly patrol the Aegean in an effort to prevent irregular crossings.
Migrants and boat operators sometimes attempt to evade police patrols, according to the report, creating situations in which vessels can lose control, collide or capsize.
Monday's deaths involved two different circumstances: one boat collided with a police vessel near Lesbos, while the second overturned near Samos.
The incidents add to the continuing human toll along the Aegean migration route, where migrants seeking to reach Europe face dangerous sea conditions, overcrowded boats and the risks associated with attempts to avoid interception.
Greek authorities have so far confirmed 12 deaths across the two incidents.
This report was updated on Monday Oct. 19, 2026, at 10:42am.