More than 600 migrants rescued off south coast of Spain yesterday

SPAIN’S maritime rescue service, Salvamento Maritimo, has confirmed they recovered 659 migrants from 16 boats off the coast of southern Spain in one day yesterday (Monday).
A spokesperson said they had rescued 192 people in seven boats in the Strait of Gibraltar and 467 people in nine boats in the waters of the Alboran Sea.
Rescued migrants, including women and children, were landed at ports in Almeria, Malaga, Motril and Algeciras, received healthcare from the Red Cross before being transferred to migrant holding centres.
In July Spain’s national government announced it was to spend €30 million on an emergency plan to deal with the increasing number of migrants arriving on Spanish shores.
So far this year the country has received nearly 24,000 immigrants as other nations including Italy have slammed the doors shut to boatloads of migrants.
In August the government asked the European Union (EU) for emergency funding to deal with the growing number of migrants arriving from the Mediterranean. The EU gave Spain some €25.6 million to improve its migrant reception system in the country’s African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla last month.
On average, in the first five months of 2018, around 54 people have arrived daily by sea to Spain. That number has now grown to 220 per day on average.
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Hoy 20h, Estrecho: 192 rescatados de 7 pateras por Arcturus, Arenal, Gadir, Luz de Mar que los lleva a Algeciras. Alborán: Caliope 5 pateras con 243 personas a Motril, Hamal 60 a Málaga, Polimnia 20 a Almería, Spica 53 y va a por otra. Alnitak embarca a 58 llegados a isla Alborán pic.twitter.com/qclsxin2TH

— SALVAMENTO MARÍTIMO (@salvamentogob) September 3, 2018

Hoy en El Estrecho hemos rescatado con la Salvamar Gadir, Guardamar Concepción Arenal y la Salvamar Arcturus a 120 personas de 6 #pateras que ya están a bordo del buque Luz de Mar.

La G/Calíope ha rescatado 7mn NE de la isla de Alborán a 23 personas de una patera y a 64 de otra pic.twitter.com/5Gh21fEyi4

— SALVAMENTO MARÍTIMO (@salvamentogob) September 3, 2018