• Home /
• Statewatch Database /
• Spain: Death of Moroccan migrants on raft

Spain: Death of Moroccan migrants on raft

01 July 1997

The continuing flow of migrants attempting to cross the Straits of Gibraltar on rafts and other small craft increases at this time of year, with new reports every week of the detention of dozens by the Spanish police. There are also frequent reports of drownings, although it is likely that recorded deaths are greatly outnumbered by those that go unnoticed. Among the worst of the recent tragedies was the drowning, off Tangiers, of some 25 Moroccans on 14 June. This figure represents only the bodies recovered: it is almost certain that more died, since it is thought that there were around 40 migrants on the boat, and to date only two are known to have survived. On 16 September another seven bodies were found near Cadiz, presumed to be victims of the capsizing of another raft, and it is reckoned from missing persons reports that on this occasion as many as 30 may have died. Since 1988, the total number of deaths exceeds 200.