On Thursday, Greek port police arrested a 31-year-old Moroccan citizen on the island of Chios, after a boat carrying migrants collided with a coast guard boat, resulting in the death of 15 people who drowned and injured more than 20 others. The total number of migrants who were boarding the ill-fated boat is still unknown.
Published on: 02/05/2026 - 12:50
Greek port police announced Thursday that a 31-year-old Moroccan man was arrested on the Greek island of Chios, after a collision between a boat carrying migrants and a Greek Coast Guard boat resulted in the deaths of 15 people.
A brief statement from the same source included that the detainee was referred to by Afghan survivors of the incident as a smuggler.
He is expected to appear on Thursday before an investigating judge on charges of “facilitating illegal entry into Greek territory,” “refusing to comply,” and “causing a drowning accident.”
The collision occurred between a Greek Coast Guard boat and another carrying migrants seeking to reach the European Union, on Tuesday evening off the island of Chios, located not far from the Turkish coast.
15 people were killed in this accident and more than 20 others were injured.
Public television channel ERT reported that search operations to find potential survivors continued throughout Wednesday and Thursday morning, with the participation of five patrol boats and a port police helicopter, without yielding results so far.
Read also: At least 14 migrants died after their boat collided with a Greek Coast Guard ship
The total number of migrants who were on the ill-fated boat is still unknown.
Greek Minister of Maritime Affairs Vassilis Kikilias stressed that the investigation into the circumstances of the accident will be conducted “transparently and professionally.”
It is noteworthy that the conservative Greek government headed by Kyriakos Mitsotakis is pursuing a strict immigration policy, and human rights organizations have repeatedly accused Greece of carrying out illegal immigration pushbacks.
A large number of migrants seek to cross the Mediterranean every year with the aim of reaching Europe.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said in November that more than 1,700 people were killed or went missing in 2025 on migration routes to Europe in the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean off the coast of West Africa.
The International Organization for Migration has counted the deaths or missing of about 33,000 migrants in the Mediterranean since 2014.
France 24/AFP
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