At least 61 migrants die in attempts to reach Europe
dpaAthens/Geneva At least 61 people have died in recent days while attempting to reach Europe by boat, including at least 39 off Senegal and 22 south of the Greek island of Crete,...
A harrowing death toll of at least 61 migrants was recorded in recent days as they sought passage to Europe, according to authorities and media reports on Monday. The majority of these fatalities occurred off the coast of Senegal and near the Greek island of Crete.
On Friday, a boat capsized off the north-western coast of Senegal, resulting in the drowning of 39 individuals, with only one survivor rescued by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The remaining victims' exact count remains unknown. Senegalese authorities noted that these migrants were primarily attempting to reach Spain's Canary Islands, often facing perilous journeys in unseaworthy boats orchestrated by smugglers and traffickers for financial gain.
IOM chief Amy Pope emphasized that these migrants were driven by the pursuit of a better life yet lamented the continued exploitation of their desperation by criminal networks.
In the southern coastal village of Kali Limenes, Greece, four incidents involving migrant boats over the weekend claimed at least 22 lives, with 133 others rescued, according to Greek media. In one incident, Greek coastguards rescued 28 Sudanese migrants off Kali Limenes and recovered eight bodies following a boat capsizing. The migrants had reportedly left Libya days earlier and paid between €1,000 and €2,500 for the perilous voyage.
Two suspects, a 16-year-old boy and a 28-year-old man, were detained on suspicion of people smuggling.
Further south, the crew of a passing container ship alerted authorities to another migrant boat, leading to the rescue of 18 individuals and recovery of 12 bodies by the Greek coastguard. Aerial surveillance by the EU border agency Frontex also rescued 87 people from two migrant boats, carrying a total of 87 passengers. These rescued migrants were transported to Kali Limenes.
While overall migrant arrivals in Greece have diminished this year, arrivals on Crete have surged significantly. As of November 1, over 22,500 people had arrived on the island, surpassing the total number of arrivals in all of the previous year, which stood at approximately 20,200.
Written by urgent.news from Qatar Tribune's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
