Dhe Spanish sea rescue rescued around 150 migrants from three boats in the Atlantic off the Spanish Canary Island of Gran Canaria. The people from Africa were brought ashore for care and registration, wrote the sea rescue on Thursday on Twitter.
The number of people who dare to make the dangerous crossing from Africa across the Atlantic towards the archipelago has risen sharply this year. According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, 22,249 migrants have been counted since the beginning of the year. In the previous year there were just under 2700. How many people died at sea is not known. The UNHCR estimates more than 400 fatalities.
The Spanish Canary Islands are only about 100 kilometers west of the coast of West Africa in the Atlantic. However, the open Atlantic is very dangerous for the small boats, which are mostly only powered by outboard motors. If you miss the islands or get lost, you have little chance of survival.
