Spanish reconnaissance plane locates missing fishing vessel with 200 migrants onboard.

A Spanish reconnaissance plane has located a fishing vessel from Senegal that has been missing for nearly two weeks with approximately 200 migrants on board, according to the maritime rescue service. The plane discovered the boat, located 71 miles south of Gran Canaria, with the possibility of it being the missing vessel. A rescue ship is en route and expected to reach the location in about two and a half hours. Migrant aid group Walking Borders reported that two other missing boats, carrying around 65 and 50-60 people respectively, were also unaccounted for since leaving Senegal to reach Spain.

The Spanish rescue service had initiated one official alert for the boat carrying 200 passengers, but their plane was monitoring any vessels in distress. Although the condition of the migrants remains unknown, the families of the estimated 300 individuals onboard all three boats have not received any updates about their whereabouts. Helena Maleno from Walking Borders expressed the need for increased resources and a more extensive search operation involving authorities in Senegal, Mauritania, Morocco, and Spain.

The fishing vessel and the other two missing boats left Senegal’s Kafountine village in Cassamance, an area facing a long-standing insurgency and situated approximately 1,700 km away from Spain’s Canary Islands. Challenging weather conditions in the Atlantic Ocean made the journey particularly perilous. The Atlantic migration route is known for its high fatality rate and is frequently used by migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. According to the U.N.’s International Organisation for Migration, at least 559 people died in 2022 while attempting to reach the Canary Islands. Data from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency shows that 1,135 Senegalese migrants have arrived in the Canaries this year.

In conclusion, a Spanish reconnaissance plane has spotted a fishing vessel that may be the missing boat carrying around 200 migrants from Senegal. Two additional boats with approximately 65 and 50-60 individuals on board are also missing. Efforts are being made to rescue the migrants, and their families are awaiting updates on their whereabouts. The hazardous Atlantic migration route and challenging weather conditions have made this journey especially dangerous, resulting in a substantial number of fatalities.

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