Between dawn and early morning this Friday, Maritime Rescue teams rescued the occupants of five cayucos – 184 people in total – that were sailing in the vicinity of El Hierro, and are searching for a sixth boat at sea. One of the rescues ended tragically: after boarding the Guardamar Polimnia To the 55 men who were in one of the canoes, about 185 kilometers from the coast of El Hierro, those responsible for Maritime Rescue confirmed the poor condition of five of them. The Helimer helicopter immediately evacuated them and took them to the island’s airport. Upon arrival, the death of one of the men was confirmed. The other four were admitted to the hospital in serious condition, as explained by 112. During the night, three more men were evacuated to the hospital.
This has not been the only tragedy on the Canary Islands route that has been known in recent hours. The Government of Mali confirmed this Friday that on December 19, a boat heading to the Canary Islands sank in Moroccan waters with 80 people on board, of whom only 11 managed to survive. The Malian authorities detail that 25 of the fatalities and nine of the survivors were of that nationality.
The transfer of canoes from West Africa to the Canary Islands has left three especially hard days this week. with almost 400 occupants in total. The day before, on Christmas Day, another 515 people had disembarked in the Canary Islands, according to the Maritime Rescue count. And this Friday the rhythm does not stop. During the early hours of the morning, the public body had to face three operations: the Salvamar Adhara He rescued 48 men who were sailing in a canoe. The Acrux He has accompanied another who was transporting 42 men. and the Polimnia carried out the rescue of the 55 men, among whom was the deceased. Furthermore, the Salvamar Adhara Early this morning, a fourth cayuco with 32 occupants was towed to La Restinga (El Hierro). and the Acrux He accompanied another with seven people. In total, almost 200 people were rescued from the sea in a few hours, which brings the number of migrants arriving to the islands to nearly a thousand in just over two days. Maritime Rescue has received a notice of a sixth vessel adrift, for which there is still no further information, according to Civil Protection sources.
The deceased man joins the list of fatalities on the Canary Islands route. On Thursday it was published, which maintains that this year there has been a record number of deaths on the migratory routes that lead to Spain. According to the records of this organization, which maintains direct contact with many of the people who risk their lives at sea and with their families, in 2024 10,457 people died trying to reach Spain, and a total of 131 boats were lost with all their occupants. aboard. Of that total number of deaths, the report maintains, 9,757 perished on their journey to the Canary Islands, the “deadliest in the world,” according to the organization.
Calculations by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), part of the UN, reduce the number of deaths and missing persons this year on the migratory routes to Spain to around 1,400 people. The IOM itself recognizes, however, that these figures are below reality.
Map to Europe
has demanded this Friday in a letter to the new European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, that he prioritize the archipelago in the distribution of the funds planned to finance compliance with the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, due to the “extreme situation.” that the autonomous community lives.
This has been reported by the regional government, which points out that, in addition, the top Canarian leader has invited the Austrian leader to visit the islands so that he can have “a real vision of the situation” in the Canary Islands with the arrival of more than 45,000 migrants this year. and the reception of some 5,400 unaccompanied minors.
Clavijo asks the commissioner that the distribution of these funds take into account “the enormous increase [de migrantes] suffered during this year” by the Canary Islands. “We would like the European Commission to launch a call for support, unity and solidarity to reach a common response to this migratory challenge, which does not correspond to the regions that are on the front line, as external borders, and which requires a response. coordinated multilevel”, requests the head of the autonomous Government in his letter.
