Laurence Dollimore
ALMOST 15,000 migrants have been rescued off Andalucia’s coasts so far this year.
According to the maritime rescue service, the figure (14,577), is three times higher than in 2016, overwhelming the region’s resources.
The number of boats has doubled on last year to 671.
Andalucia’s representative in Madrid Antonio Sanz said the situation is ‘complex’ and said it is only helping to grow mafias which thrive on prostitution, human trafficking and extortion rackets.
Everyday so far this year, the Maritime Rescue boats have collected in the Strait of Gibraltar, in front of the beaches of Malaga or Granada or in the surroundings of the island of Alborán, around 46 foreigners, a good part of them minors and women, some even pregnant.
Every day, on average, two boats have been intercepted, boats that are getting bigger and transporting more people.
It is now very rare that a day goes by without migrants having to be rescued.
In all the months of this year the figures for 2016 have been exceeded, and they have all multiplied by at least three and in some cases seven.
The month which saw the fewest immigrants rescued was February, when 447 people were counted in 18 boats.
The most, by far, has been October, which saw 2,462 migrants rescued in 118 boats, a whopping 173% increase on last year.
The trend continues this month, which has so far been triple that of last November, with 1,663 migrants rescued against 478.
Between 2012 and 2017, the number of immigrants who have been rescued in Andalucian waters has skyrocketed by 338%, from 3,323 in 2012 to 14,577 so far this year.
Only in 2013 was there a decline, although it was hardly noticeable at around 900 less, while the rest of the years the figures have not stopped growing.
As for boats, they went from 104 in 2012 to 671 in 2017, a 545% increase.
