Spanish coast guard intercept migrants boats

By al mayadeen english
Source: news agencies
8 Feb 2023 19:23

Individuals who were hospitalized suffered hypothermia and dehydration symptoms.

A migrant leaves a rescue boat after arriving at the port of Barbate, southern Spain, June 27, 2018 (REUTERS/Jon Nazca)

The office for security and emergencies in the Canary Islands reported on Wednesday that the Spanish coast guard discovered a boat with 43 migrants aboard, including one dead and two in severe condition, close to the island of Lanzarote.

"Today, the maritime rescue service found a boat with 43 migrants on board, they were taken to Arrecife [port in Lanzarote]," the authority tweeted, adding that "one of them died and nine were taken to a hospital, two in critical condition."

According to local emergency services and the Spanish news agency Efe, individuals who were hospitalized suffered hypothermia and dehydration symptoms.

The authority reported that earlier in the day, another ship carrying 64 illegal immigrants from sub-Saharan countries was intercepted. 35 men, 24 women, and 5 children that were on board were transported to the Spanish port of Arguineguin.

The migration flow from Africa has been on the rise since August. Spanish law enforcement forces intercepted at least 22 vessels, which were heading to the regions of Almeria, Murcia, Majorca, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Ceuta, and Cadiz over the span of 72 hours during that month.

Irregular migration has increased by 3.3% in 2022. Earlier in August, the European Commission allocated $173.83 million to projects dealing with the reception and return of migrants in EU countries that are on the frontline of migrant arrivals, including Spain, where the aid is set to be earmarked for the expansion of the reception system, including in the Canary Islands, helping to alleviate its overload caused by increased migrant flows.

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