Over 500 migrants died trying to reach the Canary Islands | the Chronicle

Over 500 migrants and refugees lost their lives this year trying to reach the Canary Islands by sea from West African countries, according to an estimate by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The intergovernmental organization itself admits, however, that this estimate is imprecise and that the actual number of victims may be even higher, since some boats “disappear without leaving a trace.”

During the last shipwreck, which dates from November 15, a boat with 66 people on board arrived in Cape Verde with damage. According to the Spanish government and the survivors – more than 130 migrants, almost all Senegalese – initially traveled on this ship, for which around 60 lost their lives.

This new tragedy is part of an increase in travel to the Canary Islands, where more than 18,000 migrants and refugees have already arrived this year, including 12,000 between October and November, according to the Europa Press news agency.

Throughout 2019, IOM has confirmed 210 deaths on this route, a figure that more than doubled in 2020, IOM says it is “extremely worried” for this drastic increase.

The data center manager, Frank Laczko, recognized that they face “many challenges” when it comes to drawing a clear picture of the real situation. The international agency attributes to the collateral effects of the coronavirus pandemic, in particular food insecurity, the rebound in the arrival of pateras (precarious ships) in the Canary Islands, but still maintains that the number of migrants would be “handy” if you bet on “solidarity policies which give priority to human rights”.