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A boat containing the bodies of four women has been found adrift off the coast of Cartagena, in southeastern Spain. This is reported by the Spanish rescue services. According to the Spanish police, “it probably concerns female migrants who tried to reach the coast from North Africa.”
“On Thursday evening, rescuers were informed that an inflatable boat was floating 20 kilometers off the coast,” a spokesperson said. The boat may have run out of fuel, according to the Guardia Civil.
Spain is one of the main gateways for illegal immigration to the European continent. In 2023, 56,852 illegal migrants entered the country, almost double the number in 2022 (+82.1 percent).
According to Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras, at least 6,618 migrants have died or disappeared trying to reach Spain in 2023. That is an average of eighteen deaths per day.