This Saturday morning has brought two new boats to the island, without either being detected by surveillance systems. The first arrived on the coast of Haría and it was the City Council who notified the authorities when the boat was found stranded on the beach, but the immigrants had already dispersed.
Following the notice, which occurred at 5:50 in the morning, a security device was activated in the area, without knowing so far how many occupants were traveling in the boat.
In addition, there is the circumstance that the mayor of Haría and president of CC, José Torres Stinga, became an 'accidental skipper' of that boat. "I captained the illegal boat to prevent it from running aground, and it is not the first time," said Torres Stinga.
The president explained that at 5:48 in the morning, he felt a "bump, an engine rev" coming from the coastal area, near his house, in Arrieta. Torres Stinga looked out the window and saw a boat "just 15 meters away, in which between 12 and 15 people were traveling, including minors, women and possibly a baby".
After alerting the Coordinating Center for Emergencies and Security (Cecoes 112), he got into the boat to "prevent it from running aground, because the cost to the City Council is quite important." He controlled the situation for approximately one hour and directed the boat to the Arrieta dock, which touched land at 8:00 a.m.
Torres Stinga's experience highlights the "vulnerability of the Canary Islands borders and the Integrated External Surveillance System (SIVE)". The president says that "it is absolutely inconceivable that a boat of this type can arrive without being detected. In this specific case, they were immigrants who came to seek a better world, but unfortunately we are not exempt from the risks that everyone knows, so it cannot happen again".
The president confessed to being "concerned" about the "possible opening of immigration routes with the North of the Maghreb". "We believe that a new front is opening up," he said, "because I fear and it is true, that there has been some relaxation in the controls of origin" to prevent illegal immigration. "Apparently, in the South of Mauritania there are movements and I can confirm that those who arrived in Lanzarote are Maghrebi," he concluded.
Meanwhile, another boat reached the coast of Lanzarote hours later, although in this case a fishing boat had given the warning after detecting the boat about three miles from the island. A total of 32 people were traveling on board, including a woman and a baby. All are in good health.
ACN Press
