Spanish police have arrested seven suspected people smugglers, described as the “captains” of a boat that departed from Gambia, in connection with the deaths of four migrants during a crossing to the Canary Islands in November. The arrests were made at an emergency accommodation center on the island of Tenerife, with the suspects linked to a vessel that docked at El Hierro on November 3, carrying 207 asylum seekers.
The seven men are accused of killing four passengers two days before the boat reached the Canaries, with investigators relying on witness testimony from survivors who described the journey as a “nightmare.” The boat had departed from the coast of Gambia, making a stopover in Senegal’s Bassoul Island, where many of the migrants boarded.
Police said tensions aboard the boat escalated after three traffickers, tasked with maintaining order, began punishing passengers. One individual, reportedly disoriented from the journey’s hardships, was blamed for the boat’s troubles, leading the smugglers to beat him and those who intervened. In a bid to intimidate the remaining passengers, the traffickers allegedly murdered four migrants.
Three victims have been identified, and their families have been notified. One survivor was hospitalized for a possible knife wound, according to authorities.
The incident highlights the increasing dangers faced by migrants attempting to reach Europe through the Canary Islands. Spain, alongside Italy and Greece, remains a primary entry point for asylum seekers. Despite the deadly conditions, the number of undocumented arrivals in the Canaries has surged in recent years. Human rights group Caminando Fronteras reports that over 10,400 migrants have drowned or gone missing at sea in 2024 alone while trying to reach Spain.
