Spain: 13 migrants rescued by coastguard, fate of dozens more ignored

Two Coast Guard helicopters rescued 13 migrants off the Canary Islands today, Spanish authorities said. However, the survivors told Red Cross officials that the fate of more than 20 people was being ignored and that they feared they had drowned.

Helicopters, a boat and two floating ships were involved in a search-and-rescue operation in the offshore area 65 miles south of Gran Canaria after an aircraft spotted a boat that was floating with difficulty, according to the Spanish Coast Guard.

A helicopter rescued 11 migrants and transported them to Gran Canaria, where two of them were taken to hospital with hypothermia. Two other survivors were taken to Tenerife.

According to testimonies of Red Cross officials, about 40 people were on the boat.

The Canary Islands, located about 60 miles off the coast of Morocco, have been one of the most popular destinations for migrants trying to reach Europe in recent years.

In 2021 alone, some 4,400 people drowned trying to reach Spain, according to an NGO. 22,316 migrants from Africa managed to reach the Canary Islands by sea last year, compared to 23,271 in 2020, according to the same source.

SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ