News, November 2003

Immigration disaster in the Straits

3 November. Over the past few days, bodies have been washed up on the beaches around the US naval base at Rota and at Cadiz, port city on the western approaches to the Straits of Gibraltar. From the testimony of the 5 survivos, some 50 left Marocco aboard a Zodiac in an attempt to make the illegal crossing to Europe. But the boat broke up and 34 bodies have now been washed up.

This is the worst disaster yet known to have happened to these desperate people, hoping for a new life and fortune in the continent 'flowing with milk and honey'.

Update 17 November. The death toll is now 37 as a further body was washed up at Puerto de Santa María, close to Rota on Saturday night (15th). Much argument between the Spanish and Maroccan governments rages around the subject, while the Civil Guard and Coast guards claim they need far more equipment to be able to protect the southern Spanish coasts from this kind of disaster in the future. The government has, in the mean time, anounced new measures, including a doubling of the number of patrol boats.