Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (EFE).- A fishing boat has located less than a kilometer from the coast of Los Cocoteros, in Lanzarote, an inflatable boat with 53 immigrants on board, including a pregnant woman who had already died, they have confirmed Maritime Rescue and the Island Emergency Consortium.
The Salvamar Al Nair has transferred to its deck all the occupants of the boat, 42 men, seven women and three minors of sub-Saharan and North African origin, as well as the body of the woman.
The 52 survivors have arrived in apparent good health at the port of Arrecife after 11:00 am and are receiving the first assistance on the pier.
The rib was located shortly after 9:00 a.m. by a small fishing boat that operated in the area, the Mar Azul, based in Arrecife, whose crew offered water and cookies to the occupants of the rib until Salvamento arrived.
Two boats rescued this Tuesday
This is the second boat with immigrants rescued this Tuesday in Lanzarote: during the early morning, another zódiac was located with 53 people, including 10 women and a minor.
In recent weeks there has been a succession of boat arrivals in the Canary Islands favored by good weather conditions at sea, with two main characteristics: a high number of inflatable boat departures to Lanzarote and Fuerteventura from the coasts closest to the islands and the reappearance of the canoes on the route, some with more than 150 people.
Until June 15 -the latest data published by the Ministry of the Interior-, 5,914 immigrants had arrived on the islands by boat, a figure that is clearly below that of 2022 (-31.5%), but which shows signs of be experiencing a rebound.
In fact, the first half of June alone accounts for 25% of all people rescued since the exercise began.
The fortnight with the most immigrant arrivals so far this year
According to official counts, the islands have just experienced the busiest fortnight in arrivals of the year, with 1,508, a figure that comfortably exceeds the 1,036 in the second half of February and the 1,018 in the middle of May.
If the last two fortnights are counted, from May 15 to June 15, it is observed that the rescues on those dates add up to 2,526 people, 42% of the entire year.