AFP journalists saw rescuers removing two bodies from a boat transporting over 30 people trying to reach the Canary IslandsArguineguin (Spain) (AFP) – Two migrants died trying to reach Spain's Canary Islands on a boat transporting more than 30 people, AFP confirmed Thursday, the latest deadly incident involving the treacherous crossing. Advertising Read moreThe drifting vessel was towed to the port of Arguineguin on the island of Gran Canaria, where AFP journalists saw rescuers removing two bodies from the boat. It was not clear where the boat had set off from, but Spain is one of the major gateways for migrants departing from North Africa seeking a better life in Europe. The number of people attempting the sea crossing to the Canaries, an archipelago in the Atlantic off the coast of northwest Africa, has increased dramatically since late 2019 after checks on Mediterranean routes were tightened. But the route to the Canaries is particularly dangerous -- since the beginning of the year, some 900 people have died attempting it, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 19, 2021 05:33 UTC