Seven migrants drown off Greek island after boat capsizes

ATHENS (Reuters) - Seven migrants drowned early on Tuesday and two were missing after their boat capsized off the eastern Greek island of Lesbos, the shipping ministry said, the latest in hundreds of deaths this year of people attempting the perilous crossing.

Greece is a major gateway into the European Union for migrants from Africa and the Middle East, who often cross the sea in unsafe boats. The civil war in Syria has increased the human traffic.