Latest news with #CaminandoFronteras
Local Spain
3 days ago
- Politics
- Local Spain
'We owe a lot to them': Spain's PM highlights immigration benefits
Immigration Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday highlighted the benefits brought by immigrants during a visit to Mauritania where he spoke after anti-immigrant unrest in a Spanish town. Sánchez, stood alongside Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, told reporters that Spain and other rich countries owe a lot to migrants for their development. Mauritania has however become a key staging post for undocumented migrants who take a dangerous sea route from West Africa to Europe, with many heading for Spain. "Today, the progress and good economic situation of Spain owes a lot to the contribution made by immigration, to the people who have come to develop their life plans there," Sánchez said. The Spanish leader called for closer cooperation with countries like Mauritania "to guarantee migration that is safe, regular, organised, that mutually benefits our societies". He spoke as Spanish authorities seek to calm several nights of troubles in the town of Torre Pacheco where migrants have been the target of violence since an attack on a 68-year-old man last week. Spain's far-right has seized on the unrest to call for deportations of migrants. Sánchez has defended the role of migration and in August last year went to three West African nations, including Mauritania, seeking to develop "circular migration" that brings trained workers that Spain needs for its economy. Thousands of would-be migrants have died in recent years seeking to make the sea trip from Mauritania and other North African states to Spain and other European Mediterranean countries. According to the Spanish charity Caminando Fronteras, nearly 10,500 people died at sea in 2024 alone. Some 46,800 African migrants arrived in Spain's Canary islands in 2024, according to official figures, though numbers have fallen this year. Spanish and Mauritanian officials on Wednesday signed four accords on transport and infrastructure, welfare, cybersecurity and national parks, the Spanish government said in a statement.
News.com.au
24-06-2025
- News.com.au
Horror as five bodies with hands and feet shackled wash up at holiday spot
At least five bodies have been discovered in the waters of a popular tourist island in Spain. Police are probing the gruesome discovery of people found floating at sea in Majorca with their hands and feet tied up. They are believed to be migrants who tried to reach the Spanish coastline via a dangerous crossing from Algeria – a route that claims hundreds of lives each year. 517 people died while crossing from Algeria into Spain in 2024, according to the NGO Caminando Fronteras. But the fact these bodies were found shackled has led cops to suspect they were murdered for unknown reasons. While an investigation has been launched into the tragic deaths, it has proven challenging as migrants rarely report any abuses they suffer during their boat journey. The bodies were discovered last month, but police maintained total secrecy about the investigations. One of the bodies was spotted floating in the sea by a private Belgian-flagged vessel sailing in waters west of Formentera on May 18. The patrol boat of the Civil Guard Río Segura arrived at the scene. Crew members located the lifeless body floating in the sea around two hours later. When the Civil Guard recovered the man's body they discovered that his hands and feet were tied and that he was wearing an orange life jacket. The patrol boat moved the body near Cap de Barbaria, south of Formentera, where it was handed over to another vessel that brought it ashore. The body was later examined by Civil Guard agents and a forensic doctor to clarify the circumstances of the death. A few days later, another body was also spotted in the waters of Formentera. In total, at least five bodies have been found with their hands and feet tied, floating in various parts of the waters of the Balearic Islands. All of them are presumed to be migrants who were travelling in a boat. The procedure provided for cases of violent deaths has been activated. The corpses will be examined by Civil Guard agents and forensic doctors, who take necrofingerprints (if the state of the body allows it) or DNA samples. Civil Guard investigators suspect that the migrants who appeared tied hand and foot may have had a confrontation during the crossing. They would then have been handcuffed and thrown into the sea – which would point to clear cases of murder. The Balearics have lately recorded the highest number of boat arrivals. Between June 20 and June 22, security forces and Maritime Rescue teams intercepted and rescued a total of 344 people who were trying to reach the coasts of the archipelago in precarious boats. On Friday, 195 people were recorded, on Saturday, 106 people, and on Sunday, another 39. Authorities are maintaining surveillance to monitor for any new arrivals. At least 2,695 people have so far arrived in the archipelago in 130 boats, according to data from the regional government. Over the past six months, around 30 bodies have washed up on Balearic beaches, including in Majorca, Ibiza and Formentera – beaches that have been dubbed as 'a graveyard' by a leading Spanish newspaper.
The Sun
23-06-2025
- The Sun
Horror in Majorca as at least five bodies with hands and feet shackled are plucked from water off Brit holiday island
AT least five bodies have been recovered on the beach of a popular tourist island in Spain. Police are investigating the chilling discovery of people found dead at sea in Majorca with their hands and feet tied up. 2 They are believed to be migrants who tried to reach the Spanish coastline via a dangerous crossing from Algeria - a route that claims hundreds of lives each year. 517 people died while crossing from Algeria into Spain in 2024, according to the NGO Caminando Fronteras. The fact these bodies were found shackled has led cops to suspect they were murdered for unknown reasons. Cops have opened an investigation into their horrific deaths. However, the investigation has been challenging because migrants that cross irregularly rarely report any abuses they suffer during the journey from the Algerian coast. The bodies were discovered last month, but the police maintained total secrecy about the investigations. One of the bodies was spotted floating in the sea by a private Belgian-flagged vessel sailing in waters west of Formentera on May 18. The patrol boat of the Civil Guard Río Segura arrived at the scene, which despite being based in the Canary Islands had moved to the Balearic Islands to carry out patrol services. The crew members of the Río Segura then went to a point marked by the Belgian boat and about two hours later they located the lifeless body floating in the sea. When the Civil Guards recovered the man's body they discovered that his hands and feet were tied and that he was wearing an orange life jacket. The Civil Guard patrol boat transferred the body to the vicinity of Cap de Barbaria, south of Formentera, where it was transferred to a boat that took it ashore. The body was later examined by Civil Guard agents and a forensic doctor, in an attempt to clarify the circumstances of the death. A few days later, another body was also spotted in the waters of Formentera. In total, at least five bodies have been found with their hands and feet tied, floating in different parts of the waters of the Balearic Islands. All of them are presumed to be migrants who were travelling in a boat. The procedure provided for cases of violent deaths has been activated. The corpses are examined by Civil Guard agents and forensic doctors, who take necrofingerprints (if the state of the body allows it) or DNA samples. Civil Guard investigators suspect that the migrants who appeared tied hand and foot may have had a confrontation during the crossing. They would then have been handcuffed and thrown into the sea - which would point to clear cases of murder. The Balearics have lately recorded the highest number of boat arrivals. Between June 20 and June 22, security forces and Maritime Rescue teams intercepted and rescued a total of 344 people who were trying to reach the coasts of the archipelago in precarious boats. On Friday. 195 people were counted, while on Saturday, 106 were recorded and on Sunday, June 22nd, another 39. The authorities are keeping surveillance devices active in the event of new arrivals. At least 2,695 people have so far arrived in the archipelago in 130 boats, according to data from the regional government. Over the past six months, around 30 bodies have washed up on Balearic beaches, including in Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera - beaches that have been dubbed as "a graveyard" by a leading Spanish newspaper. 2
The Irish Sun
23-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
Horror in Majorca as at least five bodies with hands and feet shackled are plucked from water off Brit holiday island
AT least five bodies have been recovered on the beach of a popular tourist island in Spain. Police are investigating the chilling discovery of people found dead at sea in 2 Five bodies were tragically found at sea in Majorca Credit: Getty They are believed to be migrants who tried to reach the Spanish coastline via a dangerous crossing from Algeria - a route that claims hundreds of lives each year. Advertisement In 2024, 517 people died while crossing from Algeria into Spain, according to the NGO Caminando Fronteras. The fact these bodies were found shackled has led cops to suspect they were murdered for unknown reasons. Cops have opened an investigation into their horrific deaths. Read more world news However, the investigation has been challenging because migrants that cross irregularly rarely report any abuses they suffer during the journey from the Algerian coast. Advertisement The bodies were discovered last month, but the police maintained total secrecy about the investigations. One of the bodies was spotted floating in the sea by a private Belgian-flagged vessel sailing in waters west of Formentera on May 18. The patrol boat of the Civil Guard Río Segura arrived at the scene, which despite being based in the Canary Islands had moved to the Balearic Islands to carry out patrol services. Most read in The Sun Exclusive The crew members of the Río Segura then went to a point marked by the Belgian boat and about two hours later they located the lifeless body floating in the sea. Advertisement When the Civil Guards recovered the man's body they discovered that his hands and feet were tied and that he was wearing an orange life jacket. Brits warned 'don't drink beer' as 42C African heat plume strikes Spain The Civil Guard patrol boat transferred the body to the vicinity of Cap de Barbaria, south of Formentera, where it was transferred to a boat that took it ashore. The body was later examined by Civil Guard agents and a forensic doctor, in an attempt to clarify the circumstances of the death. A few days later, another body was also spotted in the waters of Formentera. In total, at least five bodies have been found with their hands and feet tied, floating in different parts of the waters of the Balearic Islands. Advertisement All of them are presumed to be migrants who were travelling in a boat. The procedure provided for cases of violent deaths has been activated. The corpses are examined by Civil Guard agents and forensic doctors, who take necrofingerprints (if the state of the body allows it) or DNA samples. Civil Guard investigators suspect that the migrants who appeared tied hand and foot may have had a confrontation during the crossing. They would then have been handcuffed and thrown into the sea - which would point to clear cases of murder. Advertisement The Balearics have lately recorded the highest number of boat arrivals. Between June 20 and June 22, security forces and Maritime Rescue teams intercepted and rescued a total of 344 people who were trying to reach the coasts of the archipelago in precarious boats. On Friday. 195 people were counted, while on Saturday, 106 were recorded and on Sunday, June 22nd, another 39. The authorities are keeping surveillance devices active in the event of new arrivals. At least 2,695 people have so far arrived in the archipelago in 130 boats, according to data from the regional government. Advertisement Over the past six months, around 30 bodies have washed up on Balearic beaches, including in Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera - beaches that have been dubbed as "a graveyard" by a leading Spanish newspaper. 2 In 2024, 517 people died while crossing from Algeria into Spain, according to the NGO Caminando Fronteras Credit: Getty
The Sun
29-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
Migrant boat capsize kills seven in Spain's Canary Islands
MADRID: Four women and three girls drowned on Wednesday after migrants disembarking an overcrowded boat in Spain's Canary Islands accidentally capsized the vessel, rescuers said, in the latest tragedy on the perilous route. Emergency services in the Atlantic archipelago confirmed the seven deaths 'after the capsizing of a vessel' in La Restinga port on the island of El Hierro. They said on X that one of the girls was aged five and another 16. Spain's maritime rescue service, which located the boat some six nautical miles from shore, said it was carrying 159 people, including 49 women and 32 minors. Authorities said it was not immediately clear where the boat had departed from or the nationalities of those on board. Juan Miguel Padron, mayor of El Pinar, north of La Restinga, told local television that some migrants were trapped in the boat and others died during the rescue when the vessel capsized upon reaching what he called 'the promised land'. 'It's terrible, just terrible,' he added. A three-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl almost drowned and were transported by helicopter to a hospital in Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, the emergency services added. Two three-month-old babies, a pregnant woman and three minors were in hospital on El Hierro, they said. Spanish broadcaster RTVE aired footage of rescuers throwing lifebuoys to people clinging onto an overturned boat and treading water off El Hierro. The maritime rescue service told AFP in a statement that a rescue ship found the boat and accompanied it to La Restinga. 'During the disembarkation, some of the people travelling on the boat crowded on one of the sides, which caused it to tilt and capsize,' the service said. 'The transfer of people is the most delicate moment of the operation and, with the vessels being overloaded and with precarious security conditions, the difficulty increases notably.' Alpidio Armas, head of El Hierro's local government, questioned how the migrants could be saved on the high seas but die in the apparent safety of a port. 'We are doing something wrong,' he told reporters. 'Question of humanity' Each year, Spain takes tens of thousands of Europe-bound migrants who arrive in the Canary Islands from west Africa -- with Mali, Senegal and Morocco the most common nationalities. Strong ocean currents and ramshackle vessels make the long crossing dangerous. According to the NGO Caminando Fronteras, at least 10,457 migrants died or disappeared while trying to reach Spain by sea from January 1 to December 5, 2024. The central government's representative in the archipelago, Anselmo Pestana, explained that the migrants' fatigue complicated the emergency response in the water. 'If the rescue was not immediate, they probably sunk very quickly,' he told journalists on the island of Gran Canaria. Local authorities have consistently warned of unsustainable pressure on their resources and complained about a lack of solidarity. 'We ask for decisive action from the European Union,' the Canary Islands' regional leader Fernando Clavijo told journalists. 'This is unfortunately what we experience... those who are very far away in offices are incapable of understanding it.' Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on X that the deaths 'should move us all'. 'Lives lost in a desperate attempt to find a better future,' he added. Almost 47,000 irregular arrivals reached the Canaries in 2024, breaking the annual record for the second year running, as tighter controls in the Mediterranean pushed migrants to attempt the Atlantic route. But numbers are down so far this year, dropping 34.4 percent between January 1 and May 15 compared with the same period in 2024, according to interior ministry figures.
