Spanish police have arrested seven human traffickers accused of murdering four migrants during a perilous sea journey from the African mainland to Spain’s Canary Islands in November.
The arrests were made at an emergency accommodation centre in Tenerife. The suspects, described by authorities as the captains of a vessel carrying 207 asylum seekers, are alleged to have killed four passengers two days before the boat reached El Hierro on November 3.
Witness testimonies from surviving migrants described the journey as “a nightmare,” prompting an investigation into the deaths. Police revealed that the boat initially departed from Gambia, making a stop at the Senegalese island of Bassoul, where most passengers boarded.
Three days into the journey, tensions escalated onboard. According to the investigation, a passenger, disoriented by the harsh conditions, was singled out and blamed by the traffickers for the difficulties during the voyage. The captains allegedly began beating him and others who attempted to defend him. To instil fear among the passengers, the traffickers are accused of murdering four asylum seekers.
Police have identified three of the victims and notified their families. One survivor, who endured a suspected knife wound to the chest, required surgery upon reaching the Canaries.
The Canary Islands are a major gateway for migrants attempting to enter the European Union, alongside Italy and Greece. The number of undocumented migrants reaching the archipelago has surged in recent years, with many undertaking the dangerous journey in overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels.
According to Caminando Fronteras, a human rights organisation, over 10,400 migrants have drowned or gone missing this year alone while attempting to reach Spain.
