Armando G. Tejeda

Orresponsal

The newspaper La Jornada
Wednesday, August 28, 2024, p. 31

Madrid. A brigade of the Spanish public maritime rescue services rescued a cayuco (small wooden boat) that was about to sink and in which 120 people from Mali, Senegal, Mauritania and Gambia were travelling, who were allowed to disembark in the port of Arguineguín.

The rescue took place near the island of Gran Canaria, which is part of the Spanish archipelago closest to the African continent and has become the main destination for migrants to reach Europe. In addition, alarm bells rang in the city of Ceuta due to the collapse of the reception centres for undocumented minors.

The drama of migration continues unabated, especially in the Canary Islands, which are already considered a highly dangerous route, ahead of Italy, where there has been a drop of almost 70 percent in arrivals compared to the previous year.

Maritime Rescue said that the cayuco spotted yesterday left Nouakchott, Mauritania, on Sunday, and the migrants faced adverse weather conditions. The rescue was complicated precisely because of the sea conditions and the wind.

So far this year, more than 25,000 people have arrived on the Canary Islands’ coasts and the number is expected to end at the end of the year with more than 50,000.

Ceuta has asked for help in the face of overcrowding and saturation of migrant minors, with reception centres 500 percent overcrowded, a situation that has worsened in recent months.

The city president, Juan Jesús Vivas, asked for help to face the crisis, because The entire year’s budget for child care has been exhausted and resources are needed, since these days they receive an average of 20 minors per day.

He explained: We have a live, uncontrolled fire, but we must also establish the necessary structural measures so that this does not happen again, and that requires a State agreement..