Spain Rescues 476 Migrants Crossing Mediterranean Sea
The migrants are pulled from 15 small boats as they attempt a perilous crossing from African shores.MADRID — Spain’s maritime rescue service says it has saved 476 migrants in a two-day span who were attempting the perilous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea from African shores.
The service says it pulled the migrants from 15 small boats on Friday and Saturday. There were no reported casualties.
Favorable weather in the Strait of Gibraltar appears to have sparked the surge in sea crossings.
Each year, tens of thousands of migrants attempt to reach Spain and other southern European countries by crossing the Mediterranean in smugglers’ boats. Most of the vessels are unfit for open water, and thousands of migrants drown each year.
The U.N. says 615 migrants have died crossing the Mediterranean so far this year. A total of 22,439 migrants have reached European shores, with 4,409 arriving in Spain, through the first four months of 2018.
WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...This year, the ground feels uncertain — facts are buried and those in power are working to keep them hidden. Now more than ever, independent journalism must go beneath the surface.
At Truthdig, we don’t just report what's happening — we investigate how and why. We follow the threads others leave behind and uncover the forces shaping our future.
Your tax-deductible donation fuels journalism that asks harder questions and digs where others won’t.
Don’t settle for surface-level coverage.
Unearth what matters. Help dig deeper.
Donate now.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.