Spain saves 86 people searching for missing migrant ships – DW – 10/07/2023

Spain’s Maritime Rescue Service reported on Monday that it had rescued 86 people — 80 men and six women — sailing in a 20-meter (65-foot) multicolored canoe, a canoe-like boat popular in Senegal.

However, Spanish authorities have not confirmed if it was one of three ships said to be carrying around 300 people from Senegal to Spain’s Canary Islands before it was reported missing last week.

The rescued people are expected to arrive in Spain on Monday evening.

Spain discovers a possible missing ship

Authorities have alerted boats sailing in the Atlantic Ocean between the Canary Islands and West Africa to keep abreast of other migrant boats that are still missing.

Earlier on Monday, Spain’s coast guard said one of its reconnaissance planes had spotted what could be a ship coming from Senegal with hundreds of migrants missing two weeks ago.

Cited by many news outlets Spanish The agency that spotted a large boat with about 200 people on board near the island of Gran Canaria.

A Sea Rescue spokeswoman said: “We don’t yet know for certain if it was one of the missing boats. But the size and number of people on board is consistent with the information we have.”

Earlier on Sunday, Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders) said three boats were carrying at least 300 people. immigrants He was on the plane He disappeared off the Spanish Canary Islands.

What do we know about the missing boats?

It is reported that the boats carrying African migrants, which took off from Senegal to reach Spain, have been missing for 15 days.

The three boats set sail from Cavontaine in southern Senegal, about 1,700 kilometers (1,057 miles) from Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands.

Helena Maleno of Walking Borders said one boat was carrying about 65 people and the other between 50 and 60.

A third boat left on 27 June with about 200 people on board.

Migrants seek refuge in the southern islands of Spain

Maleno said the families of those on the ship had not heard from them since they left.

“The families are very worried. There are about 300 people from the same area in Senegal. They left because of the instability in Senegal,” she added.

According to data from the UN’s International Organization for Migration, at least 559 people – including 22 children – died last year trying to reach the Canary Islands.

The islands have become the main destination for migrants trying to reach Spain, and summer is the busiest period for all attempted crossings.

How dangerous is it for a migrant to cross into Spain?

It usually uses the Atlantic migration corridor, which is one of the deadliest passages in the world immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa.

Migrant rights group Caminando Fronteras said last week that at least 951 migrants had died trying to reach Spain by sea in the first half of 2023.

The total includes 112 women and 49 children. Spanish figures show fewer boats arriving in the first six months, but the number of deaths slightly higher compared to last year.

According to the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, 12,192 people arrived by boat in the first half of 2023, 4% less than in the same period last year.

js, rmt, ara/ab (Reuters, AP)