Three refugee boats with over 300 individuals on board have gone lacking within the sea between Africa and Spain’s Canary Islands, with 86 migrants later rescued on Monday.
It is unclear if the 86 come from the lacking boats.
Spain’s Sea Rescue service tweeted on Monday {that a} vessel set off from Gran Canaria to select up these stranded after a search airplane noticed the refugee boat 140 kilometres south of the island.
A container ship registered in Panama was near the migrant boat and took the passengers on board earlier than the rescue service arrived.
“We do not yet know for sure if it is one of the missing boats. But the size and number of people on board is consistent with the information we have,” a Sea Rescue spokeswoman stated.
Spanish assist company Caminando Fronteras had reported on June 23 that two boats with 60 individuals every had left Senegal for the Canaries.
Four days later, a 3rd boat with 200 migrants additionally set off from the west African coast.
The assist company has been involved with family, who stated they’d not heard from their family members.
Helena Maleno from Caminando Fronteras instructed dpa: “We are very worried because after the unrest in Senegal in June and because of political persecution, people are even less prepared than usual to flee in a hurry.”
All ships within the space in query have been alerted days in the past to maintain a lookout for the migrants. The Spanish police additionally knowledgeable the Moroccan authorities, however the Spanish Sea Rescue spokeswoman couldn’t say whether or not they had additionally launched a search operation.
Maleno criticized Spain for under utilizing one search airplane, which was solely within the air for just a few hours per day.
“If 300 Germans were missing in the Atlantic, there would be a huge search operation,” she added.
Many migrants leaving Africa use the Mediterranean path to affluent Europe by way of the likes of Libya and Italy. But some select to make the 1,700 km voyage via the Atlantic from West Africa to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The ocean has a lot stronger currents and waves in comparison with the Mediterranean and is among the most harmful migrant routes.
According to the UN refugee company the UNHCR, 7,278 migrants from Africa have been counted on the Canary Islands this 12 months as much as July 2.
Caminando Fronteras say a minimum of 778 individuals have already died on the Atlantic route within the first half of the 12 months. However, the variety of unreported circumstances might be greater.
In June, 19 boats with refugees from Senegal arrived on the Canary Islands, however not one has been formally registered because the starting of the 12 months.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
