Carried by two boats, 111 African migrants go missing in the Mediterranean

Two boats carrying 111 African migrants have been missing since Tuesday in the Mediterranean Sea, mainly between Morocco and Spain, AFP reported, quoting the Spanish coast guard.

The first boat carries 53 migrants while the second has 58 others in it. They are all of sub-Saharan origin, a coast guard spokesman told AFP. The Spanish authorities were first alerted by migrants NGO «Caminnado Fronteras» (Walking Borders) on Tuesday.

A Spanish military aircraft, a coast guard vessel and helicopter, as well as two patrol teams and a Moroccan Armed Forces vessel have been looking for the two boats. «The bad weather in the Alboran Sea makes the operation difficult», the spokesman said.

According to Walking Borders’ founder Helena Maleno, who said she was alerted by the families of several migrants, indicated that four women and one child are in the boat carrying 53 people.

AFP recalls that since the beginning of 2019, at least 8,056 migrants arrived in Spain through the Mediterranean route, using 286 boats, according to a report released June 2 by the Spanish Interior Ministry.