14 Egyptians die as irregular migration boat sinks near Crete

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Istanbul: At least 14 Egyptians died after an irregular migration boat sank near the port of the Greek island of Crete, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

According to the ministry, the boat, which departed from a neighboring country of Egypt on December 7, 2025, was carrying 34 irregular migrants of different nationalities, including the 14 Egyptian citizens who lost their lives.

The ministry said it is closely coordinating with Greek authorities to provide all possible assistance to the survivors and to expedite the repatriation of the bodies of the Egyptian victims.

Describing the incident as “tragic,” the ministry urged Egyptian citizens not to fall prey to irregular migration networks, emphasizing the dangers and the risk of repeating such painful incidents.

Irregular migrants have reportedly been using Libya and other neighboring countries as transit points to reach Crete, a gateway to the European Union. In early July, the Greek government suspended asylum applications for migrants arriving in Crete from Libya.

The ministry also noted that Egypt has prevented departures of irregular migration boats toward Europe since 2016, though some Egyptian migrants still resort to Libya as a transit route.