Twenty migrants die in one week on Canary Islands route

A total of 20 people lost their lives last week while trying to migrate irregularly by sea from West Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands, according to Spanish authorities.

On 20 August, 15 people were found dead in a migrant boat. The following day a wooden boat was found with 12 survivors and 4 bodies. A fifth passenger died later in hospital.

The route from West Africa to the Spanish islands is notoriously dangerous and had already claimed the lives of 190 migrants this year even before last week’s tragedies.

TMP_ 28/08/2020

Photo Credit: Shutterstock/ Nicolas Economou

Photo Caption: Lesbos Island, Greece, November 13, 2015: Groups of Refugees and Migrants aboard dinghies reach the Greek Island of Lesvos after crossing the cold Aegean Sea from Turkey arriving thirsty and helpless