According to Xinhua news agency, the Spanish maritime rescue force said that a boat carrying 128 migrants was just found drifting in the sea about 120 km south of Gran Canaria island, after a 26-day journey adrift at sea.
On August 7, the migrant boat departed from Gambia heading to Europe. By September 3 (local time), when rescue forces approached, only 45 people were lucky survivors, 5 bodies were found right on the boat, while more than 80 other victims were identified as missing in the ocean, suspected of having died.
The sea route from the West African coast to the Canary Islands of Spain is listed as the most dangerous migration routes on the planet, costing the lives of hundreds of people each year. Among them, the route from Gambia is one of the longest routes that migrants choose to find their way into the European Union (EU), with a length of up to about 2,000 km.
According to data from the non-governmental organization Caminando Fronteras, as of June this year, about 1,300 people have died trying to cross the sea to reach the islands under Spanish sovereignty. In addition to Gambia, other popular departure points along the African coast include Conakry (Guinea), Bissau (Guinea-Bissau), Saint-Louis (Senegal) and Morocco.
Spain is currently one of the leading countries receiving the largest number of migrants into the EU, including both the sea route to the Canary Islands and the road route through Ceuta, the autonomous overseas territory of this country bordering Africa.
