A migrant boat capsized near the Spanish island of El Hierro, resulting in the deaths of at least nine people and leaving 48 others missing. This tragedy may be the deadliest in 30 years of migrant attempts to cross into the Canary Islands.
The boat, carrying 84 migrants from Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal, sank during a rescue operation just five kilometers east of El Hierro. The Spanish maritime rescue services managed to save 27 people.
According to Manuel Barroso, head of Spain’s maritime rescue services, the boat capsized when all the migrants stampeded to one side in an attempt to escape, causing everyone to fall into the sea. Wind and poor visibility further complicated the rescue efforts.
In addition to the tragic capsizing, three other boats carrying a total of 208 migrants reached the Canary Islands on Sunday. A makeshift vessel carrying 81 people arrived at Tenerife, the largest island, while another boat reached Fuerteventura, the second-largest island. A third boat, carrying around 80 migrants, was nearing El Hierro.
The rising number of migrants has caused political tension in Spain, with mainland regions resisting calls to take in migrants from the Canary Islands. Earlier this year, Clavijo projected that 70,000 migrants could reach the archipelago by the end of the year, nearly doubling the record arrivals of 39,910 in 2023.
The Canary Islands have seen a steep rise in the number of migrant arrivals this year, with a 154% increase compared to the previous year. Data from the European Union’s border agency, Frontex, indicated that 21,620 migrants crossed the islands in the first seven months of the year.
Fernando Clavijo, the Canary Islands’ regional president, has requested Spain and the European Union to help in the migration crisis. “This situation sadly should push us all to immediately and urgently seek an agreement that allows us to deal with this phenomenon,” Clavijo said.
While European leaders worry, it is a shame that African leaders remain mostly unperturbed and African children die in the Mediterranean trying to escape the difficult conditions at home. .
The hazardous journey from West Africa to the Canary Islands, which can be as long as 800 miles, has been driven by extreme poverty, political instability and senseless avoidable conflicts in Africa’s Sahel region.
Comment, Like 👍, share this article, and Follow us on our social media handles.
WhatsApp Channel
Telegram Channel
