The three Nigerian stowaways found on an oil tanker’s rudder after an 11-day ocean voyage from Lagos to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands are seeking asylum in Spain, officials have said. According to Spanish law, unless the stowaways seek asylum, or are minors, the ship owner or agent is responsible for returning them to their point of departure – in this case, Lagos. Given that the men are now seeking asylum, the ship is free to leave port again. The asylum seekers’ identities and their motives for leaving Nigeria and hiding on the ship’s rudder have not been made public. According to the MarineTraffic tracking website, the Malta-flagged vessel left Lagos on November 17 and arrived in Las Palmas on Monday.

Source: The Guardian November 30, 2022 15:15 UTC