Hundreds of migrants rescued off Spain's Canary Islands
November 4, 2023
Four migrants have died and more than 700 others were rescued from boats off the Canary Islands, Spanish emergency services said on Saturday.
Authorities intercepted two boats carrying a total of 254 people on Friday evening.
A third boat carrying 238 people was intercepted at dawn on Saturday and a fourth vessel carrying 247 people was intercepted on Saturday morning.
Most of the migrants were found to be in good health.
However, the Spanish coast guard found two dead bodies during the rescues. Two more migrants also died later in hospital.
Migrant arrivals in Canary Islands near all-time high
Spain’s Canary Islands lie around 100 km (60 miles) off the west coast of Africa.
The archipelago has become a popular route into Europe for migrants amid tighter border controls in the Mediterranean.
On Thursday, Spain’s Interior Ministry said the number of undocumented migrants arriving in the Canary Islands so far this year increased 111% year-on-year to 30,705.
That figure is nearing the all-time high of 31,678 undocumented migrants recorded in 2006.
zc/jcg (Reuters, AFP)