At least fourteen people were killed when a migrant-carrying speedboat collided with a Greek coastguard patrol vessel near Chios Island on Tuesday evening. The crash occurred close to Mirsinidi beach, and rescue teams recovered the bodies from the sea, according to TRT World. Several others were injured in the incident.

Among the injured were seven children and two pregnant women, all of whom were taken to hospital for treatment. Two coastguard officers were also hospitalized following the collision. Reports indicate that the condition of four migrants remains critical.

Authorities have not released further details about the cause of the collision or the nationalities of those on board.

Greece’s Ministry of Migration has submitted a new bill to parliament aimed at tightening penalties for migrant smuggling. The proposed law includes provisions for life imprisonment for convicted smugglers and allows for the deportation of migrants involved in such crimes. It also criminalizes assistance by legally residing migrants to irregular migrants. Migration Minister Thanos Plevris, formerly linked to a far-right party, is leading the proposal, which is scheduled for parliamentary review next week.

According to the ministry, the bill seeks to strengthen punishment at all levels of illegal migrant trafficking. It also extends penalties to NGO workers accused of smuggling, including potential prison terms. However, 56 NGOs, including the Greek branches of Doctors of the World and Doctors Without Borders, have expressed concern over several clauses, calling for their immediate withdrawal. They argue that the bill grants excessive power to the ministry, enabling it to suspend an organization’s registration even before guilt is proven.

The bill also introduces measures to promote legal migration, such as simplifying recruitment from third countries, launching new visas for high-tech workers, and granting residence permits to students from developing nations. It further proposes vocational training programs to integrate asylum seekers and refugees into labor-short sectors like construction, agriculture, and tourism.

Two people were killed across Greece on Wednesday as heavy rain and strong winds swept through the country, causing widespread flooding and transport disruptions. According to Maritime Affairs Minister Vassilis Kikilias, a coastguard officer died after being struck by waves while on duty in the coastal town of Astros in eastern Peloponnese. In another incident, a woman was killed in the Athens suburb of Glyfada when her car was swept away by floodwaters. Authorities suspended ferry services and closed several roads due to the severe weather.

Wind speeds exceeded 100 kilometers per hour, prompting school closures in Athens and parts of western and southern Greece. Meteorologists reported that some areas of the capital received six weeks’ worth of rainfall in a single day. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis postponed his planned trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, due to the situation.

Experts have repeatedly warned that deadly floods in recent years have been worsened by rapid urbanization and blocked waterways, urging infrastructure improvements, particularly in the greater Athens region.

Greek coast guards rescued 131 migrants from a fishing boat near the island of Crete on Saturday, according to the report. The rescued individuals were taken to Gavdos, though their nationalities were not disclosed. This brings the total number of migrants rescued in the region over the past five days to 840.

Earlier in December, a boat sank off the coast of Crete, killing 17 people, most of whom were Sudanese or Egyptian, while 15 others remained missing and only two survived. The United Nations refugee agency reported that since the beginning of the year, more than 16,770 people have reached Crete while attempting to enter Europe.

In July, Greece’s conservative government suspended asylum application processing for three months, particularly affecting migrants arriving from Libya.

Eighteen migrants have died after a boat sank off the southern Greek island of Chrissi on Saturday, according to the Greek Coast Guard. The vessel went down about 40 kilometers from the shore, with only two survivors rescued and transferred to nearby Crete. A Turkish cargo ship first spotted the sinking boat and alerted Greek authorities shortly after the incident.

The Coast Guard reported that the boat was carrying 20 migrants attempting to reach Europe. The tragedy highlights the persistent dangers faced by migrants crossing the Mediterranean from Libya, Turkey, and Morocco toward Greece and Italy. Since 2015, more than a million undocumented migrants have sought refuge in Greece, many housed in overcrowded camps.

Authorities warn that worsening weather conditions and unseaworthy vessels continue to make these journeys perilous. The Greek government has called for stronger regional cooperation to curb human smuggling and prevent further loss of life in the Mediterranean migration routes.