Seven dead after migrant boat capsizes near Canary Islands, emergency crews say

Published connected 28/05/2025 - 14:13 GMT+2•Updated 14:21

Four women and 3 girls died connected Wednesday erstwhile a mini vessel carrying migrants capsized while arriving to larboard successful nan Canary Islands, emergency services successful Spain said.

Spain's maritime rescue service, which located nan vessel immoderate 9.6 kilometres from shore, said nan vessel tipped complete arsenic rescuers started removing children arsenic it arrived astatine a dock connected nan land of El Hierro.

Local media said nan mini vessel appeared to beryllium packed pinch much than 100 people.

Spanish rescuers and members of nan Red Cross were progressive successful a rescue operation, pulling respective group retired of nan water.

The Spanish archipelago located disconnected Africa's occidental seashore has for years been a main way for migrants trying to scope Europe.

But it's besides 1 of nan world’s astir vulnerable pinch nan Spanish migrants' authorities group Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders) saying successful a January study that much than 10,000 group had died past twelvemonth trying to scope nan archipelago.

But a grounds number of migrants were much lucky, pinch authorities successful nan Canary Islands saying much than 43,000 group had arrived location successful 2024.

Several EU personnel countries person started to update their migration policies, conscionable arsenic migration besides comes astatine nan apical of nan European Council's agenda. 

In a missive to EU personnel states, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen projected speeding up nan return of asylum seekers and opening detention centres successful 3rd countries, pursuing nan precedent group by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's arguable statement pinch Albania. 

Meanwhile, nan Spanish authorities announced past twelvemonth nan opening of an emergency reception centre astatine Ciudad Real airdrome to woody pinch asylum requests from irregular arrivals. 

And successful March, Madrid adopted a measurement to redistribute thousands of unaccompanied migrant minors presently sheltered connected nan Canary Islands to different parts of Spain.

The betterment ended a months-long governmental stalemate betwixt Spain's regions and nan cardinal authorities and was aimed astatine easing unit connected overcrowded migrant reception centres, chiefly successful nan Canary Islands.

For respective months, section leaders successful nan Canaries had complained astir a deficiency of resources to shelter nan thousands of unaccompanied children and teenagers who scope their shores.

The Canary Islands are sheltering much than 5,000 unaccompanied minors crossed nan archipelago.