A tragic incident unfolded off the coast of Spain’s Canary Islands overnight, leaving a devastating toll on the lives of migrants seeking a better future. A boat carrying 84 migrants capsized, resulting in the deaths of at least nine individuals, with 48 still unaccounted for.
The National Maritime Rescue Service responded to a distress call shortly after midnight, originating from the waters off El Hierro, one of the islands in the Canary archipelago. While 27 individuals were rescued, the grim reality of the situation highlights the perilous nature of these journeys.
This tragedy follows a similar incident in early September, where 39 migrants lost their lives when their boat sank off the coast of Senegal during an attempted crossing to the Canaries. The Canaries serve as a stepping stone for many migrants hoping to reach mainland Europe.
Thousands of individuals have tragically lost their lives in recent years attempting this perilous journey across the Atlantic. These voyages are undertaken on overcrowded and often dilapidated boats, ill-equipped to handle the treacherous conditions. Some boats embark from African shores as far as 1,000 kilometers from the Canaries, facing unforgiving ocean currents and unpredictable weather patterns.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency, estimates that since 2014, over 4,857 people have perished on this route. However, many aid organizations believe this figure is a significant undercount, with Caminando Fronteras, a Spanish NGO assisting migrants, reporting an estimated 18,680 deaths.
In response to this ongoing crisis, Spain’s Prime Minister visited Mauritania and The Gambia in late August to sign cooperation agreements aimed at curbing the activities of people smugglers while fostering pathways for legal immigration.
The number of migrants reaching the Canary Islands has seen a dramatic increase in recent years, with 22,304 arrivals recorded since the beginning of 2023, a significant jump compared to the 9,864 arrivals during the same period in 2022.
The Atlantic route remains a treacherous path for those seeking a new life, demanding urgent action from the international community to address the root causes of migration and provide safe and legal pathways for those fleeing conflict and hardship.
