37 sub-Saharan African migrants rescued off Spain

The Spanish coast guard rescued a boat carrying 37 sub-Saharan African migrants off the Spanish island of Gran Canaria on Thursday, regional emergency service said.

A spokesman for the Spanish Red Cross said the migrants had been traveling for three days when they were picked up about 10 kilometres from the coast.

The Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the Moroccan coast, are a dangerous route for migrants.

Dozens of people died last year trying to reach Europe, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Some 20,460 migrants arrived in Spain in mid-September this year, data from the Interior Ministry shows. This represents a decrease of 46.1% compared to the same period last year.

Reuters