Three stowaways survive 11-day Atlantic journey to Spain on ship’s rudder
Las Palmas, Spain, Nov 29 (EFE).- Three African men survived a 11-day journey hidden on top of the rudder of an oil tanker that sailed non-stop from Lagos, Nigeria to Las Palmas, in the Canary Islands, Spain’s coast guard has said.
The three stowaways were disembarked and received urgent care at the port, and were later taken to two different hospitals for treatment for moderate dehydration.
A Spanish government source told Efe on Tuesday that as they had arrived as stowaways, they are not legally considered migrants and will not be allowed ashore. They will be returned to the ship for the crew to take care of them until it returns to Nigeria.
Two of them are already on board the tanker, with the third following once he leaves hospital.
The three of them were hidden aboard the Alithini II, from Malta, which sailed from Lagos on November 17.
An image provided by Salvamento Marítimo on Monday night shows where they were found: a small space under the stern where the rudder fits into the hull, just above the water line.
“It is a place that is not suitable for a person and at the sea, the risk is to lose one’s life. The risk is maximum,” Sofía Hernández, head of Salvamento Marítimo told Efe.
Hernández highlighted that this was not the first case, with several similar examples since 2018, including four in 2020 alone, when 15 people, including one minor, were rescued.
Spanish journalist and migration advisor to the Canary Islands government, Txema Santana, issued a statement on Twitter in which he warned that the ongoing migration crisis would see more similarly dangerous crossing attempts.
“This is not the first time and it will not be the last,” he said. “Stowaways are not always this lucky.” EFE
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Channel crossing deaths: man arrested over deaths of 27 migrants who drowned in English Channel
Harem Ahmed Abwbaker is accused of being a member of an organised crime gang behind the crossing and faces extradition proceedings to France
By NationalWorld Team
A man has been arrested in connection with the deaths of 27 migrants in the English Channel.
A man has been arrested in the UK in connection with the deaths of at least 27 people who drowned while trying to cross the English Channel in a dinghy last year. Harem Ahmed Abwbaker was detained at an address in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, at around 6.45am on Tuesday, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.
The 32-year-old is accused of being a member of an organised crime gang behind the crossing in November 2021. All but two of the migrants on board died after the boat sank. Four people are still missing.
He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday for extradition to France, where the NCA said he will face charges of the “French equivalent of manslaughter” and facilitating illegal immigration.
NCA deputy director Craig Turner said: “This is a significant arrest, and comes as part of extensive inquiries into the events leading to these tragic deaths in the Channel.” He added: “Working closely with our French partners we are determined to do all we can to get justice for the families of those whose lives were lost, and disrupt and dismantle the cruel organised criminal networks involved in people smuggling.”
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “My thoughts continue to be with the families of all of those who tragically lost their lives in this horrendous incident. I thank the NCA and other agencies across the UK and France for their tireless work to deliver justice for the victims and their families by identifying those we believe to be responsible and ensuring they feel the full force of the law.”
Last week, relatives of those who died marked the first anniversary of the tragedy by demanding the Prime Minister make changes to prevent future tragedies. In a letter to Rishi Sunak, they called for politicians – including Ms Braverman – to end their “poisonous rhetoric” which they said “breeds fear and division”.
Their demands came amid concerns French rescue services had failed to respond adequately and as an official report from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) found the boat had reached UK waters.
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