There is news that, unfortunately, begins to seem too common to us. Precarious boats that appear off the coast of Lanzarote, exhausted people after a perilous journey, minors traveling in harrowing conditions, and, too often, lives lost along the way.
The succession of these reports runs the risk of turning a human tragedy into just another figure in the daily headlines. And that is precisely what we should not allow.
The latest rescue operation north of Lanzarote, in which two new inflatable boats with about 104 people on board were assisted, once again confronts us with a situation that the island knows all too well. The gravity of that day is even greater when considering that six boats were rescued, with hundreds of people, and that the deaths of at least seven migrants were confirmed on one of them, under circumstances that are still being investigated.
Behind each boat there are stories we barely know: people leaving their homes, families placing their hopes on an uncertain journey, and human beings risking their lives in the Atlantic in search of an opportunity, fleeing circumstances that we can hardly imagine from our daily reality.
Amidst this scenario, the work of the Red Cross deserves special recognition. Its teams are once again there, in Puerto Naos, ready to receive those who arrive after hours of uncertainty and fear. Their task does not end with disembarkation. From that moment on, human and health care begins, which demands professionalism, preparation, sensitivity, and an enormous capacity to respond.
Each intervention involves attending to, accompanying, providing health assistance, offering shelter, and returning some peace of mind to those who have just gone through a traumatic experience. It is silent work, often away from the spotlight, that deserves all our respect and gratitude.
Recognition that should be extended to Maritime Rescue and the rest of the emergency services involved in these operations.
Solidarity is not an extraordinary gesture reserved for certain occasions, but a human obligation, especially when other people's lives are in danger. Lanzarote, due to its geographical location and its own history, knows well the meaning of welcome, the difficulties, and the need to lend a hand to those going through moments of extreme vulnerability.
However, recognition for those working on the front lines cannot make us lose sight of the dimension of the problem. The Red Cross assists those who arrive, Maritime Rescue intervenes to save them, and institutions activate emergency services. All these actions are essential, but none alone solves the causes that lead thousands of people to undertake such a dangerous journey.
The question is inevitable: until when will we have to continue witnessing this succession of rescues, disembarkations, and tragedies? How much longer will we continue counting boats, people assisted, and lives lost without offering lasting answers to a problem that keeps repeating itself?
This is not about looking for easy culprits or turning human suffering into a political argument. It is about demanding responsibility, cooperation, and migration policies capable of addressing this situation from its causes, promoting safe and regular pathways, guaranteeing the protection of vulnerable people, and offering dignified care to those who arrive on our shores.
It is also necessary to provide the islands with sufficient resources to face a situation that cannot fall exclusively on the professionals and volunteers involved in each emergency.
Lanzarote cannot get used to these images or look the other way every time a zodiac approaches its shores. Nor can it accept that deaths in the Atlantic end up being incorporated into a periodically updated statistic. Every person rescued is a life that has managed to overcome a journey of enormous risk; every death, on the other hand, reminds us of the unbearable price of a situation that continues to lack an adequate response.
Today it is necessary to highlight the commitment, dedication, and humanity of the Red Cross. Its workers and volunteers demonstrate, once again, that behind emergency protocols there are people willing to help others, without distinction and in circumstances that require enormous human and professional strength.
But gratitude should not make us forget the fundamental question: what are we doing as a society to prevent these scenes from continuing to repeat themselves?
Rescuing lives is essential. Dignified care for those who arrive is an obligation. But ensuring that no one has to risk their life in the ocean to seek a better future should be a collective commitment that goes far beyond emergency actions.
Because as long as boats full of hope and fear continue to arrive, as long as the Atlantic continues to be the scene of shipwrecks, and as long as lives are lost on that journey, the question will remain.
HOW LONG?
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