5 thousand refugees died in 5 months on the way to the Canary Islands

According to the international group Tasnim news agency, quoted by the German “Hamburger Abend Blatt” newspaper, In the first few months of the year, more asylum seekers died on the way to the Canary Islands than ever before. 19,000 reached their goal.

This trip was supposed to be a trip to a better future for them. But for many it was a journey to death.

The tragedy of sinking boats and victims of refugees happens almost every day in the Canary Islands. Accredited Spanish aid organization Caminando Fronteras (German: Crossing Borders) estimates that thousands of people have drowned in these areas since the beginning of this year. Migrants who are distressed at sea call the organization’s emergency phone and ask for help or inform their family members that the refugee boat has left but has not arrived.

This aid association wrote in its latest report: The Atlantic Ocean is the most dangerous and deadly route to Spain. From January to May, 4,808 people died there, more than ever before. Of these, 3,600 departed from Mauritania, 959 from Lower Senegal, and 249 from Morocco or the Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara. The organization has also recorded 246 deaths on the Mediterranean route to Spain since January.

Local authorities consider these figures to be valid. Anselmo Pistana, the vice-president of the Spanish government in the Canary Islands, said: For years, it was assumed that about 20 percent of African migrants die trying to reach Gran Canaria, Tenerife or El Hierro. This risk has even increased as more and more impassable boats are used.

According to the United Nations refugee agency Unhcr, more than 24,000 refugees have arrived in Spain by boat since the beginning of this year. which shows an increase of 140% compared to the previous year. Of these, more than 19,000 boat migrants have been recorded in the Canary Islands. With this increase, Spain is on its way to replacing Italy with the Lampedusa refugee center. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 23,000 refugees have been registered in Italy and 18,500 in Greece since January.

At this time, it does not appear that the number of migrants entering the Canary Islands will increase. be reduced Spain’s interior ministry estimates that 300,000 asylum seekers from the financially troubled country are waiting to board a boat to Europe. The statement said: “Pressures continue because we have war in Mali and because of the general political instability in the region the number of migrants is increasing.

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