The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Wednesday that at least three Egyptian nationals were among those who died on a boat that sank on its way to Greece over the weekend. They added that at least 18 Egyptians are believed to be missing from the same craft.
In a statement on Wednesday (February 25), the Egyptian Foreign Ministry confirmed that at least 21 Egyptians were on board a boat that sank off the island of Crete on Saturday (February 21). Three of that number are confirmed to have died in the sinking and 18 are still missing, reported the English-language Egyptian news site Egypt Today.
A further person, a 28-year-old woman reported to be originally from Sudan, was also found dead, following the incident. Greek police arrested two Sudanese men suspected of being people smugglers. They were due to appear in court on Wednesday, reported local media Creta24.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry says it is monitoring the situation closely. The Egyptian Embassy in the Greek capital, Athens, is also facilitating arrangements to transfer the bodies of those dead back to Egypt as soon as possible.
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Boat capsized
Based on survivor accounts, it is thought that around 50 migrants were on board the wooden boat that capsized off Crete. According to Greek public broadcaster ERT, a commercial vessel had been sent to help in the evacuation of the migrants from the boat, but as the migrants attempted to climb the ladders onto the commercial vessel, their movement unbalanced the craft they were on, tipping many migrants into the sea.
An extensive search and rescue operation was carried out by the Greek authorities, involving sea and air power and Greek coast guard as well as Frontex and commercial vessels. Twenty migrants were rescued from the boat and brought to Crete on Saturday, reported the French news agency Agence France Presse (AFP).
It was reported earlier this week that the majority of migrants on board the ship hailed originally from Egypt and Sudan. According to AFP, the boat is believed to have set off from Libya before attempting to reach Crete.
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Migration from Egypt
In 2025, more than 17,000 Egyptians reached Europe via the Mediterranean route. This made them the top African nationality to migrate to Europe and the second largest global grouping of irregular migrants to Europe.
Many migrants hail originally from poor towns in Egypt’s Nile Delta region. Egypt has been in the grip of an economic and political crisis for several years. Very few boats depart directly from Egypt, with most migrants traveling first to neighboring Libya before attempting to board boats.
Accounts from survivors and family members suggest that many Egyptian migrants end up being arbitrarily detained in Libya and sometimes subjected to torture, violence and forced labor. They are often held hostage and their families are extorted for further payments before smugglers allow them to board boats towards Italy or Greece.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry has warned its citizens to "exercise extreme caution to avoid being misled by illegal immigration gangs," reported AFP.
Recent statements by the human rights organization Amnesty International suggest that some of Egypt’s substantial migrant and refugee community may also be coming under increasing pressure to leave Egypt, in the face of mass deportation raids, and may also be journeying on to Libya to attempt to reach Europe.
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