Twenty-two migrants attempting to reach Europe from North Africa have died off the coast of Greece after spending six days at sea in a rubber boat, survivors told the Greek coastguard on Saturday.

Authorities confirmed that 26 people, including a woman and a minor, were rescued late Friday by a European border agency vessel near Crete. Survivors included 21 Bangladeshis, four South Sudanese nationals, and one Chadian citizen.

According to survivor testimony, the bodies of those who perished were thrown into the Mediterranean “on the orders of one of the smugglers.” Two survivors were hospitalized in Heraklion, Crete.

The coastguard reported that the boat had departed Tobruk, Libya, on March 21, bound for Greece. “During the journey, the passengers lost their bearings and remained at sea for six days without food or water,” officials stated.

Two South Sudanese men, aged 19 and 22, have been arrested and are under investigation for “illegal entry into the country” and “negligent homicide.”

A spokesman explained that the vessel endured “unfavourable meteorological conditions,” which, combined with the lack of food and water, “led to the deaths through exhaustion of 22 people.”

The tragedy comes amid rising migrant fatalities in the Mediterranean. EU border agency Frontex reported earlier this month that deaths more than doubled in the first two months of 2026 compared with last year. An EU Commission spokesperson said: “These tragedies highlight once more the urgency to intensify the work with partner countries along the migratory routes and redouble efforts in the fight against migrant smugglers, who are the ones responsible for these tragedies.”

According to the International Organization for Migration, 559 people died in the Mediterranean in January and February, compared with 287 during the same period in 2025.

The incident follows another deadly crossing in December, when 17 migrants were found dead in a partially deflated boat southwest of Crete.

Meanwhile, the European Parliament has endorsed stricter migration policies, including the creation of “return hubs” to send migrants to non-EU countries—measures criticized by rights groups as inhumane.