Twelve migrants lost their lives in the northeastern Aegean Sea on Monday during two distinct maritime incidents near the Greek islands of Lesbos and Samos, according to Reuters via Al-Monitor. The fatalities involved vessels carrying passengers from Turkey that overturned during encounters with local coast guard units. Daily Maverick detailed the first event as a collision, while Al-Monitor described the second as a sudden manoeuvre leading to a capsize.

The initial accident occurred south of Agrilia on Lesbos. Daily Maverick noted the location was approximately 3.5 nautical miles from the coast. In this event, the wreckage yielded the bodies of four men, one woman and a baby. The remaining eight passengers reached the shore and were hospitalised. Officials detained a 37-year-old Turkish man from the survivor group, suspecting he piloted the craft.

A second capsize happened north of Samos, roughly four nautical miles from the island. Al-Monitor reported that five men and one woman perished when their speedboat turned abruptly. Fourteen other men made it to safety, prompting an ongoing search-and-rescue effort. Investigators held an Iranian national from this group, viewing him as the likely smuggler.

Vassilis Kikilias, Greece’s shipping minister, attributed the deaths to traffickers. He explained that preliminary evidence suggested the Lesbos boat hit the side of an official patrol craft with its front end. The minister posted on X that the government’s stance was "non-negotiable: zero tolerance for smugglers." Investigators continued to examine the precise mechanics of both events.

Greece serves as a primary entry point for people fleeing the Middle East, Africa and Asia. During the 2015-2016 crisis, close to one million arrivals reached its shores, largely from Turkey. The nation has since adopted stricter border controls, though rights groups often claim it pushes migrants back, a tactic Athens frequently disputes.