Date Published: 04/03/2021
ARCHIVED - 74 illegal migrants intercepted off the coast of the Canaries
ARCHIVED ARTICLE
Two boats were located off the shores of Lanzarote and Gran Canaria on Wednesday and Thursday
The steady stream of unauthorized migrants attempting to enter EU territory by undertaking perilous Atlantic voyages from north-western Africa to the Canary Islands continues unabated, with a further 74 people intercepted off the coasts of the islands in the last two days.
On Wednesday the maritime rescue service craft Al Nair located 34 migrants on a small boat 1.5 kilometres from Roque del Oeste, an islet north of Lanzarote, and then on Thursday morning another 41 passengers were intercepted off the southern coast of Gran Canaria. The occupants of the second boat were taken in the early hours of the morning to the jetty of Arguineguín in Mogán, and it is reported that all 11 men, 22 women and 8 minors were found to be in good health.
The situation in the islands continues to be complicated, the refusal of the Spanish government to allow the migrants to continue their journey to the Spanish mainland, as all are entering Spain illegally, causing deep frustration in the temporary encampments in which the illegal migrants are temporarily housed on the Canary Islands.
In the last few days 64 migrants walked out of the "Canarias 50 encampment" against the advice of Cruz Roja officials who tried to persuade them not to leave.
Within a few days they had returned, and requested re-admission to the camp, where at least they are given food, clothing and shelter, but not allowed to continue their journey to Spain.
At the time of this situation, there were 321 migrants in encampments on the islands, all of whom had made the dangerous crossing from Africa in search of a new life.
Last year, when the number of migrants who had arrived on the islands exceeded the facilities available, the national government did accede to the request of the Canaries regional government for help and flew some of the migrants to the mainland, where they were released.
Many are heading for France, the UK and Belgium and have no intention of remaining in Spain; others however, stay and try to find illegal work in an irregular position, which normally leaves them vulnerable to exploitation as they have no legal right to work in Spain, having entered in an irregular fashion from countries which have no agreements with Spain and are not EU members.
Image; Marine Rescue Services.