The migrants were from various countries in North and sub-Saharan Africa. Three of the boats were in such a poor condition that they sank moments after the people were rescued from them.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Guerrero
Advertisement
Spanish authorities rescued 532 migrants this weekend from more than 15 boats making the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean to Europe.
Spanish rescue boats intercepted eight small boats with almost 250 people onboard off Spain's southern coast on Sunday, a day after they rescued close to 300 people from nine vessels.
The migrants were from various countries in North and sub-Saharan Africa.
Three of the boats intercepted on Sunday were in such a bad state that they sank just moments after their occupants were pulled out.
Favorable weather in the Strait of Gibraltar, the narrowest passage of the Mediterranean Sea separating Spain from Morocco, is prompting more and more migrants to undertake the perilous sea journey.
Increasing numbers from Morocco
The number of African migrants attempting to cross to Spain via the Strait of Gibraltar or the Sea of Alboran has gone up significantly in recent years, mainly due to Italy — the busiest gateway for migrants arriving in Europe via the Mediterranean — putting in place aggressive measures to stem migrant arrivals on its shores.
Nearly 7,000 people have been rescued trying to enter Spain by sea this year, nearly double the number of migrants who were saved during the same period in 2017, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Europe's border agency, Frontex, said in January that it expected a further increase in sea crossings into Spain this year, with flows boosted by the use of fast boats.
ap/jm (AFP, Reuters)
What life is like for refugees on the Greek mainland
DW and Infomigrants visited several refugee camps on the Greek mainland. Most of the people staying in the facilities arrived there from the Greek islands. They all want to go on to Central Europe.
Image: DW/D. Kyranoudi
An old factory on the outskirts of Thebes
At the premises of the old Sakiroglou textile factory, in an industrial area just outside Thebes, a new reception center for refugees and migrants with a capacity of 700 people was launched last spring. Thebes hosts mainly refugee families and unaccompanied minors who have come from the islands, primarily Lesbos. They live here in container facilities or small apartments.
Image: DW/D. Kyranoudi
The school year has started
On the day we visited the camp in Thebes, refugees and migrants were being registered for language and integration courses. Αpart from the UN refugee agency and the IOM, Greek NGOs such as ARSIS as well as international ones like Solidarity Now are active here. Doctors of the World provides primary health care. This refugee camp is also supported by the local government and the army.
Image: DW/D. Kyranoudi
Eleonas, a refugee village in Athens
After Thebes, our second stop was Eleonas in Attica, close to the center of Athens. This is the first open refugee hosting center, which began operating in 2015, when the refugee crisis reached its peak. Despite its problems, it was considered from the very beginning to be an exemplary center for Greece, unlike the first reception and accommodation centers on the Aegean islands.
Image: DW/D. Kyranoudi
Emphasis on education
Many of the refugees and migrants hosted in Eleona want to leave for Central and Northern Europe — mostly Germany. They are offered intensive English and German courses, as well as Greek courses for those who are considering staying in Greece or those who just want to feel a bit more integrated into Greek society.
Image: DW/D. Kyranoudi
Disturbing the calm waters of Kavala
The massive arrival of migrants last year at the port of Kavala rocked the quiet northern city. Many people rushed to see the newcomers. Most welcomed or simply accepted all those who fled from their homelands. This photo was taken by journalist Giorgos Karanikas.
Image: Giorgos Karanikas
Volunteers and municipal workers at Kavala's refugee camp
According to the volunteers and residents of the city, the majority of people have no problem with the refugees and migrants hosted in the former military camp, not far from the city center. Most people who work here want to help. Despina Tsolakidou and Evi Drakonti are two of them.
Image: DW/D. Kyranoudi
Ioannina: An old οrphanage turns into a refugee center
The former children's institution of Aghia Eleni, created shortly after the Second World War by Queen Frideriki, has been transformed into new accommodation for refugees and migrants. Mostly families are hosted here, waiting for their reunification applications to be processed. Until then, they are preparing for the cold winter.
Image: DW/D. Kyranoudi
The teacher from Aleppo
Every single person at the refugee camps has his or her own story, anxieties and journey through the war zones of Syria, the mountains of Turkey, or the turbulent waters of the Aegean. Amsa was a high school teacher from Aleppo. A bomb killed her daughter. She is stranded in Greece waiting for her family reunification application to be accepted. Meanwhile, she teaches Arabic to volunteers.
Image: DW/D. Kyranoudi
Konitsa, the small city that never forgets
Even Konitsa, at the Greek-Albanian border, offers accommodation to refugees mainly from Syria. Most of them told DW that they feel safe and welcome here. Konitsa Mayor Andreas Papaspyrou told us that the city itself has a refugee past. In the early 1920's, Greek Orthodox refugees from Asia Minor and Cappadocia found a new home here.
Image: DW/D.Kyranoudi
'We want to go to Germany'
Konitsa's accommodation center hosts approximately 80 people who belong to so-called vulnerable groups. Most of them stay here temporarily, while others already have the green light to leave Greece. The Derwish family from Qamishli, Syria left their homeland in order to secure a peaceful future for their kids. They only have one destination in mind: Germany.
