Investing.com - Financial Markets Worldwide

Nearly 50 migrants plucked from waters off Spain's Gran Canaria

Published 2020-05-17, 10:52 a/m
© Reuters. Migrants rescued in the Atlantic Ocean disembark from a Spanish coast guard vessel in the port of Arguineguin on the island of Gran Canaria

By Borja Suarez

GRAN CANARIA (Reuters) - Spain's coast guard rescued 49 African migrants from a dinghy drifting a few miles off the coast of Gran Canaria on Sunday, a spokesman for the organisation said, the latest arrivals in a months-long surge of migration to the Canary Islands.

A fisherman spotted the dinghy and alerted the coast guard, which brought it and its occupants to the port of Arguineguin, he added.

All the people found on board were male, and 35 of them were believed to be under 18, according to the Red Cross, which takes in illegal migrants who make it to the islands.

As they stepped ashore, Red Cross staff wearing masks, gloves and goggles took the migrants' temperature, before wrapping them in blankets and ushering them into tents set up near the harbour.

Data from Spain's Interior Ministry show irregular migration to the Canaries is up nearly 700% so far this year, with 1,936 arrivals reported by the end of April compared with just 243 last year.

© Reuters. Migrants rescued in the Atlantic Ocean disembark from a Spanish coast guard vessel in the port of Arguineguin on the island of Gran Canaria

Overall migration to Spain is down around 24% over the same period.

Latest comments

Install Our App
Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2025 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.