22 Migrants, Including 18 Bangladeshis, Die En Route from Libya to Greece

At least 22 migrants, including 18 Bangladeshis, have died on a rubber boat that was traveling by sea from Libya in North Africa toward Europe. Among the 26 survivors rescued off the coast of Greece, 21 are Bangladeshis. International media outlets The Guardian and Al Jazeera reported the information, citing news agency AFP.

On Friday, a vessel of the European Union’s border and coast guard agency Frontex rescued 26 people alive from the Mediterranean Sea near Crete, the largest island of Greece. Among those rescued are 21 Bangladeshis, four South Sudanese nationals, and one Chadian national. Among them are also a woman and a child. Two people have been admitted to a local hospital in critical condition.

The rescued individuals said that the bodies of those who died during the journey were thrown into the sea on the instructions of traffickers. At least 18 of the deceased are reported to be Bangladeshis. Among them, three have been identified—Mujibur Rahman (45) from Sunamganj, Nuruzzaman Sardar Moyna (30), and Sahan (25).

The Greek coast guard said that the boat had set off on March 21 from the eastern Libyan port city of Tobruk toward Greece. However, the boat lost its direction midway and drifted at sea for six consecutive days without food and water. Due to adverse weather, food shortages, and extreme exhaustion, passengers died one after another.

The coast guard said the boat was located about 53 nautical miles from the city of Ierapetra in southern Crete. They added that there were no safety measures for passengers during this long and dangerous journey.

Greek authorities have arrested two South Sudanese men, aged 19 and 22, on suspicion of involvement in the incident. They are being investigated on charges of facilitating illegal entry and negligent homicide.

According to data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 559 people died while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea in January and February 2026, compared to 287 during the same period last year. That means the number of deaths has more than doubled. During the same period, despite stricter policies adopted to prevent migrants from entering Europe, this risky journey has not stopped.

Earlier, in December last year, 17 bodies were recovered from a sinking boat southwest of the island of Crete. At that time, many were also reported missing.

Human rights organizations say that such incidents are not only evidence of the brutality of human trafficking networks but also highlight the lack of safe and legal migration pathways. They have called for a humane and sustainable solution to this crisis.