Spanish Rescue Agency Says Saved Almost 600 Migrants in Mediterranean in Less Than 2 Days
The Spanish Maritime Safety and Rescue Society (SASEMAR) said on Tuesday that it had saved as many as 598 migrants in the Mediterranean over less than two days.
MADRID (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2018) The Spanish Maritime Safety and Rescue Society (SASEMAR) said on Tuesday that it had saved as many as 598 migrants in the Mediterranean over less than two days.
SASEMAR said that 230 migrants on seven boats had been rescued in the Strait of Gibraltar, and another 301 migrants on six boats had been rescued in the Alboran sea on Monday. According to SASEMAR, 67 migrants had been rescued in the Strait of Gibraltar on Tuesday so far.
According to the latest estimates of the International Organization for Migration, Spain currently tops the list of Mediterranean countries by the number of migrant sea arrivals, with over 25,100 migrants arriving in the country since the beginning of the year, which is some 3,000 arrivals more than in 2017.
A total of 61,517 migrants have arrived in Europe by sea in 2018, compared with 172,362 last year. Over 1,500 people are reported dead or missing.
SASEMAR was founded in 1992. The agency, headquartered in the Spanish capital of Madrid, is involved in maritime traffic control, rescue operations and protection of the maritime environment.