Black weekend for 'toy boat' immigration: Nine drown off Strait of Gibraltar and 60 caught between Costa Blanca and Granada
Monday, December 22, 2014 @ 12:39 AM
OVER 60 would-be migrants from north African countries have been caught in the last 48 hours off the coasts of Murcia, Alicante, Granada and Almería.
An empty wooden boat was discovered near the Orihuela Costa area in the southern Costa Blanca on Saturday, and nine of its original occupants were later found.
Most of them claimed to be under 18, which would allow them more favourable treatment now they have been caught, but coastguard police are suspicious about this and are carrying out investigations.
They have not confirmed which country they came from.
Two crafts were intercepted off the shores of La Manga del Mar Menor (Murcia province) on the same day, in which at least 20 north Africans - believed to be Algerian nationals - were travelling.
They were found near the Monteblanco area and attended to by members of the Red Cross, who gave them food, hot drinks, water, blankets and clean, dry clothing.
But by the time the Guardia Civil from nearby Cabo de Palos arrived to take them in, all bar 11 had fled.
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