The bodies of eight asylum seekers have been recovered in Libya and Greece following two separate maritime incidents, as the death toll in the Mediterranean continues to rise.
In Libya, police retrieved the bodies of five individuals that washed ashore near the capital, Tripoli. The remains were discovered on Saturday by residents in the coastal town of Qasr al-Akhyar, reports Al Jazeera.
Hassan Al-Ghawil, the head of investigations at the Qasr al-Akhyar police station, confirmed that the deceased were all dark-skinned, including two women. He further noted that local residents reported seeing a child’s body wash ashore before it was pulled back to sea by the waves.
“We reported to the Red Crescent to recover the bodies,” Al-Ghawil stated, adding that the recovered remains were intact and that authorities expect more to wash up.
This incident follows a report from the International Organization for Migration weeks ago, which stated that approximately 53 migrants, including two infants, were dead or missing after a rubber boat capsized off Zuwara.
Crete rescue operations Simultaneously, Greek authorities responded to a tragedy in the eastern Mediterranean.
The Athens News Agency reported on Saturday that three bodies were recovered and at least 20 people were rescued after a wooden boat carrying asylum seekers capsized off the coast of Crete.
Survivors, who included four minors, were primarily of Egyptian and Sudanese origin. According to the Greek public broadcaster ERT, the vessel overturned when passengers attempted to use ladders to board a commercial ship during a rescue effort. Survivors indicated that roughly 50 people had been on board.
A spokesperson for the Greek coastguard told AFP that the search for further survivors is ongoing, involving four patrol boats, an aircraft, and two ships from the European border agency, Frontex.
A second vessel carrying about 40 migrants was also spotted in the area, prompting another rescue operation.
Rising arrivals and human rights concerns Libya has served as a major transit route for those fleeing conflict and poverty since 2011. However, a recent United Nations report highlighted that migrants in Libya, including young girls, face extreme risks of killing, torture, rape, and forced labour. The UN has called for a moratorium on returning migrant boats to Libya until human rights can be guaranteed.
Many departing Libya aim for Crete, considered a gateway to the European Union. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 16,770 asylum seekers arrived in Crete in 2025.
In response to the surge, the conservative Greek government suspended the processing of asylum applications for three months last summer, specifically targeting those arriving from Libya. UNHCR data indicates that 107 people died or went missing in Greek waters throughout 2025.
