Coastguards Save 461 Algerian Illegal Immigrants On Spanish Coasts In One Day

Coastguards services found, on Friday, the body of a young man who was found dead, while another fisherman rescued a young man who was fighting death near the shore of Sidi Lakhdar, while 85 other illegal immigrants were arrested after launching a clandestine immigration from Mostaghanem and Ain Temouchent, western Algeria.

Spanish media reported that 461 people, including women, were rescued on Friday in the largest secret immigration operation in the region.

Dozens of boats left the country, on Thursday night to Friday, from various beaches of the states of Mostaghanem, Oran and Ain Temuchent (western Algeria) towards the Spanish coast in one of the largest illegal immigration in the region.

Spanish media confirmed, on Saturday, that the Coastguard services intervened on the high seas to rescue 44 boats, and found people in dangerous situation who were fighting the large waves of death, where they were taken to the port in the region of Cartagena and were given first aid, including a woman, a pregnant woman and five kids who were taken to Santa Teresa Hospital before being transferred to the center of events. 

The same reports said that 261 Algerian illegal immigrants were rescued on Friday morning and 200 others in the evening, and 3 boats reached safely to the coast of the area, while the Civil Guard rescued 41 boats and are still searching for other boats according to information that was given by illegal immigrants.

On the Algerian coasts, the coastguards services intervened on Friday in the coasts of Mostaghanem province to rescue three illegal immigrants who were in a deplorable condition, while the last deceased was found at sea and he is still unidentified. 

A fisherman in eastern Mostaganem rescued a young man from the state of Ghelizane (western Algeria) called “T.Y”, 28, who was found struggling with death and was transferred to Sidi Lakhdar hospital. 

The same services arrested, through its extensive presence in the territorial waters, 45 other people on three boats who were heading towards the Spanish coasts, including women.

At the same time, 40 others who launched illegal immigration from Ain Temouchent (western Algeria) were arrested, which means that 89 people were arrested and were transferred to the port for medical treatment before being brought to justice on charges of illegal immigration.

Residents of the area say that the coasts of Mostaganem from east to west noticed a large number of illegal immigration and turned into something like a port for passengers, and dozens of families do not know the fate of their children so far. 

Following this unprecedented incident, an extensive presence of the national gendarmerie was recorded at the various beaches and also the coastguard services at sea to carry out rescue operations. 

It is noteworthy that the groups of illegal immigrants exploited the opportunity of the stabilized state of the sea to implement their plans, a week before the date of local elections, recording the migration of hundreds of illegal immigrants from the same coasts during the past weeks.

Spanish authorities said their number reached over 2000 people, including women and kids.