Coast guard searching for missing child after migrant boat tragedy

In the early hours of Thursday, April 3, 2025, a rubber dinghy carrying migrants sank near an eastern island in Greece, close to the Turkish coast. The Greek coast guard launched a search and rescue operation immediately after discovering the vessel, which was in a precarious state and already taking on water. Initial reports indicated that there had been 31 individuals aboard, with seven confirmed dead and 23 rescued. Survivors who were rescued revealed that all passengers were from Afghanistan, highlighting the perilous situation faced by migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea. Among the survivors was a 20-year-old man, who was identified as the boat's pilot and subsequently arrested on suspicion of migrant smuggling. Turkish authorities reported a similar incident occurring in the same vicinity, where nine bodies were recovered, one person went missing, and 25 individuals were rescued. This incident underscores the ongoing crisis of migrant journeys across the Mediterranean, particularly from Turkey to Greece, which remains a critical entry point into the European Union for those fleeing conflict and poverty. The journeys are often made in overcrowded and unsafe vessels, resulting in a series of tragic accidents. Such incidents have become alarmingly common as the number of migrants attempting to reach Europe continues to rise.