Nine migrants were arrested in the Canary Islands for "piracy" for forcing the sailors who had rescued them to head for the Spanish archipelago instead of Morocco, we learned Tuesday, October 3 from rescuers and police. The migrants were among 78 people who made the crossing from the African coast in two boats and rescued Monday night by a Dutch tugboat in Moroccan waters, according to Spanish rescuers.
When they realized that the boat was taking them to the port of Tan Tan in southern Morocco, and not to the Canary Islands, they became "aggressive" towards the crew, pulling out "knives", the rescuers continued. Following this "revolt", the tug set sail for Fuerteventura, an island in the Canary Islands. Upon their arrival in the Spanish archipelago, these nine migrants, whose nationality has not been communicated, were arrested by the Civil Guard for "piracy offense", said a police source to AFP without providing further details.
Increase of 19.8% compared to 2022
Spain, and especially the Canary archipelago off the coast of Africa, is one of the main gateways for illegal migrants to Europe. The Canary Islands saw 14,976 migrants arrive between January 1 and September 30, an increase of 19.8% compared to the same period of 2022, according to the latest figures from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior.
Since the beginning of 2023, 140 migrants have died or gone missing in this crossing, according to data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) received in early September. The Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras, which, unlike IOM, relies on emergency calls with illegal immigrants at sea or their relatives, estimates that 778 migrants died or disappeared on this migration route in the first half of the year.