The number of boats reaching the shores in Alicante province rose sharply in 2023, marking a notable increase with 776 people recorded. The year saw a surge in rescue operations, nearly doubling the previous year which logged 410 people saved.
Data provided to EFE by the Red Cross indicate that actions were taken on 56 unsafe boats, carrying 735 male migrants and 41 female migrants, including 82 children comprised of 72 boys and 10 girls.
The rise in the number of minors is among the most disconcerting trends. Since consistent record keeping began in 2007, the count of unaccompanied or dependent minors has shown pronounced fluctuations, with the 2019 peak being historically significant at that time when 131 underage migrants were recorded. The 82 minors counted in 2023 surpass numbers observed in years such as 2020, which recorded 924 people in total, and 2021, which reported 848 migrants, including 77 and 69 minors respectively.
Marta Marín, who leads the first emergency response project for the migrant population in Alicante for the Red Cross ERIE AHIC, noted that the mix of ages tends to cluster around younger children and early adolescents. Many minors arrive with parents or siblings, while others are unaccompanied and must navigate the journey alone. The dynamics of family presence play a significant role in how relief and shelter are organized upon arrival.
Predicting the surge in minors remains challenging. Officials rely on volunteers to provide immediate care and protection. The motive behind many such journeys often centers on the pursuit of a better life, including prospects for education in Europe and access to job opportunities that are limited at home.
Although the activity spans the entire year, the final stretch of 2023 stood out as particularly active. Between Tuesday and Thursday, four boats carrying 56 passengers landed on the beaches of Los Locos in Torrevieja and Barragrande in Altea, with some vessels drifting offshore south of Altea. In total, those 56 passengers were recorded ahead of the port at Santa Pola, where twelve minors were among the group, some of whom were unaccompanied.
Harsh weather and the instability of sea conditions contributed to the need for onshore medical attention. This year there were 16 cases that required transfer to Doctor Balmis General Hospital in Alicante for treatment. Injuries were largely minor, including burns from saltpeter and fuel exposure during boarding and from rocky terrain near the Algerian coast where falls and fractures occurred.
So far, all the dangerous boats that have been rescued within the Community have been clustered in Alicante Province, stretching from areas near Valencia toward the border with the Region of Murcia. The typical profile observed among rescued individuals is an Algerian male aged between 20 and 30 in relatively good health, providing a snapshot of the demographic patterns encountered on these routes.
72 hour journey
Many travelers hail from sub-Saharan Africa or the Middle East, and the journey to the Spanish coast commonly spans roughly 72 hours from departure on the Algerian shoreline.
After rescue, migrants receive a combination of social and health support at a seven‑module facility operated by the Red Cross at Pier 25 in the Alicante port. The center provides a waiting area, infirmary, mediation room, playroom, storage, showers, toilets, and accessible bathrooms to address immediate needs and basic wellbeing.
Marín emphasized that the care delivered encompasses two main aspects: humanitarian assistance to meet essential needs such as food, hygiene items, and clothing, and medical care to treat wounds and conduct health assessments. In addition, personal and health information are collected, and migrants are asked about family networks in Alicante or potential destinations in Europe. When appropriate, they are offered placement within the network of primary reception centers run by the Red Cross and partner NGOs. For unaccompanied minors, reception arrangements are coordinated with public authorities in the Generalitat region.
Alicante Red Cross operates with a team of around 150 volunteers, covering health, logistics, translation, mediation, and coordination tasks as part of the broader effort to care for newly arrived migrants arriving by sea.
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