Nine Dead, 48 Missing After Migrant Boat Sinks in Canary Islands

A tragic maritime incident off the Canary Islands has resulted in the confirmed drowning of nine individuals, with at least 48 others still unaccounted for. This disaster highlights the ongoing peril faced by migrants attempting to cross the Atlantic in search of a better life. Rescue services reported the event occurred overnight, adding to a series of similar catastrophes off the west coast of Africa.

Rescue Operations Underway

Emergency responders received a distress call shortly after midnight near El Hierro, one of the islands in the Atlantic archipelago. In a coordinated effort, sea rescue teams were able to save 27 of the 84 people who were aboard the vessel. Anselmo Pestana, the head of the Canary Islands prefecture, provided details on the operation from the port of La Estaca on El Hierro Island.

“Survivors indicated that the boat had departed from Nuadibu in Mauritania, nearly 500 miles away,” Pestana stated. He also noted that initial reports suggested there may have been as many as 90 individuals on board the ill-fated vessel. Among those rescued, four were minors, he added.

A Desperate Situation

Pestana emphasized the importance of maintaining calm during the rescue operation. “The most critical part of the operation was when the rescue vessels approached the boat in distress,” he explained. The safety of those on board depended on their ability to follow the instructions of the rescue crews to prevent further capsizing.

The migrants had reportedly been without food or water for two days, which may have exacerbated the panic that led to the boat’s capsizing. Five ships, three helicopters, and one plane were involved in the search and rescue efforts, illustrating the scale of the operation.

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A Continuing Humanitarian Crisis

This incident follows a tragic event earlier in September when 39 migrants lost their lives as their boat sank off the coast of Senegal while attempting to make a similar crossing to the Canaries. Over recent years, thousands have died while attempting to navigate the perilous waters of the Atlantic, often in overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels.

In response to this latest tragedy, Fernando Clavijo, the regional president of the Canaries, took to social media platform X to call for urgent action. “This again underlines the dangerousness of the Atlantic route,” he wrote. “We need Spain and the EU to act decisively in the face of a structural humanitarian tragedy as lives are lost meters from Europe’s southern border.”

Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking

In late August, Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, traveled to Mauritania and Gambia to establish cooperation agreements aimed at curbing the activities of human traffickers while simultaneously expanding legal immigration routes. According to reports, as of August 15, 22,304 migrants had arrived in the Canaries in 2023, a significant increase from 9,864 during the same period the previous year.

The number of migrants attempting this dangerous crossing has surged, with nearly 40,000 expected to arrive in the Canaries by the end of 2023—a record that appears set to be broken. As the weather conditions improve from September, an increase in crossing attempts is anticipated.

The Perils of the Atlantic Route

The Atlantic route is notorious for its treacherous conditions. Many overcrowded boats are ill-equipped to handle the strong ocean currents, and some migrants embark from African beaches located as far as 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) from the Canaries. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), an agency of the United Nations, approximately 4,857 individuals have died on this route since 2014.

However, many humanitarian organizations contest this figure, claiming it is vastly understated. Caminando Fronteras, a Spanish non-governmental organization that supports migrants, estimates that around 18,680 have perished in their attempts to reach Europe.