Two boats from Saint-Louis bring 129 Senegalese to the Canaries
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Senego
Two boats from Saint-Louis reached La Restinga, on El Hierro, carrying 129 Senegalese, including nine minors and a woman. The first boat arrived alone, while the second was rescued after about five days at sea, according to EFE and the Spanish press.
Two boats from Saint-Louis brought 129 Senegalese to La Restinga, on the island of El Hierro in the Spanish Canary Islands, on Wednesday 11 November. The first boat, carrying 68 people including eight minors, arrived without assistance at around 9.50am, while the second, with 61 occupants including a woman and a minor, was rescued at sea by the Salvamar Diphda before being taken to the port, according to the EFE news agency as cited by Senego.
Spanish emergency services estimate that the two boats spent about five days at sea. Rescue teams intervened on their arrival and some migrants were reportedly transported in wheelchairs or assisted in moving around, according to testimonies collected by EFE and reported by ndarinfo.
Canary Islands authorities, cited by RTVC, recorded 6,665 arrivals in the Canaries during the first nine days of November, on 66 boats, 48 of which reached El Hierro. Senegal’s ambassador to Spain, Ibrahim Al Khalil Seck, also assured the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, that Dakar would step up surveillance of its coasts.
These arrivals came on the same day as the announcement of increased surveillance of Senegal’s migration routes along its coasts. They also follow the announcement on 11 November of 15.18 million euros for the Canaries.
