The dead, which include 112 women and 49 children, were using sea route, claims a Spanish migrant rights group
#Madrid: At least 951 migrants have died while trying to reach Spain by sea in the first six months of 2023, a Spanish migrant rights group said Thursday.
Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders) said the total includes 112 women and 49 children. The organization compiles its figures from families of migrants and rescue statistics.
It said in a report issued Thursday that official Spanish figures show fewer boats arrived in the first six months, but that 13 more people died than in first six months of last year.
Spain’s Interior Ministry says 12,192 people arrived by boat in the first six months, 4% fewer than in the same period last year. Caminando Fronteras blamed countries such as Spain and Morocco for a lack of coordination and failing to conduct rescue operations in time. It gave example of a June 21 incident in which 24 people were rescued and two bodies were retrieved after a boat sank in waters off Morocco’s coast, but 36 migrants disappeared.