MADRID (Reuters) – A migrant aid group, Walking Borders, has reported that approximately 300 individuals traveling on three migrant boats from Senegal to Spain’s Canary Islands have gone missing.
According to Helena Maleno of Walking Borders, two of the boats, one carrying around 65 people and the other with between 50 and 60 on board, have been missing for 15 days since their departure from Senegal in an attempt to reach Spain.
Additionally, a third boat departed from Senegal on June 27 with approximately 200 people on board. The families of those on board have not received any communication since their departure, adding to the growing concern.
All three boats embarked from Kafountine, located in the southern region of Senegal, approximately 1,700 kilometers (1,057 miles) away from Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands.
Helena Maleno expressed the deep anxiety of the families, stating, “The families are very worried. There are about 300 people from the same area of Senegal. They have left due to the instability in their home country.”
With the Canary Islands as the primary destination for migrants aiming to reach Spain, and a smaller number attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to the Spanish mainland, the summer season witnesses an influx of attempted crossings.
Notably, the Atlantic migration route serves as one of the most dangerous routes globally, often frequented by migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. Shockingly, data from the U.N.’s International Organisation for Migration indicates that in 2022, at least 559 individuals, including 22 children, lost their lives in their pursuit of reaching the Canary Islands.
(Reporting by Graham Keeley; Editing by David Holmes)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
