Deaths triple for migrants trying to reach Spanish coast
AT LEAST 630 African migrants have died while trying to reach Spain so far this year – nearly three times the tally for last year, the United Nations migration agency said yesterday.
More than 120 migrants from North Africa and Sub-saharan Africa have arrived in Spain each day during November, following a record month in October with more than 350 per day, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said.
“This is usually a time of slowing down on these routes. That is not happening in Spain,” IOM spokesman Joel Millman said.
He said the situation had become “alarming” as migrants were using smaller and less seaworthy boats.
About two dozen people drowned off the coast of Cadiz so far in November, Mr Millman told a briefing.
The sole survivor of one shipwreck, a teenage boy from Guinea now in hospital with severe hypothermia, told rescuers he was travelling with nine others, including his brother, in an inflatable rowing boat from Morocco.
In addition to migrants arriving by sea in mainland Spain, Mr Millman said 36 migrants had died while trying to reach the Canary Islands this year, compared to just one last year.
So far this year, 104,506 migrants have arrived by sea in Europe and 2,075 have died – a drop on figures for 2017.
Meanwhile, just yesterday, Spain’s Maritime Rescue service saved 189 migrants on board dinghies in the Alboran Sea.
They were picked up by the Mastelero rescue vessel and taken to the Port of Malaga where they were assisted by members of the Spanish Red Cross who gave them a change of clothing.
The rescue service was told at least one woman had died at sea.