Three migrants from North Africa were found dead on a boat off the coast of southern Spain, and 29 were rescued, the Spanish coast guard announced today.
The boat was near Almeria in Andalusia, where the migrants and the bodies of the deceased were transferred, the Spanish coast guard added.
This tragedy reveals a sudden increase in the arrival of migrants to Spain by sea. From January to September, there were 40.076 of them, which is 56 percent more than in the same period in 2023 (25.640), according to the Ministry of the Interior.
Three-quarters came across the Atlantic to the Canary Islands, a particularly dangerous route due to strong currents, especially due to the unsuitability of boats used for the open sea.
During the first five months of this year, more than 5.000 migrants died trying to reach Spain by sea, according to the non-governmental organization Kaminando Fronteras, which estimates the number of victims.
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