Two Men Rescued From Inflatable Boat Off Lanzarote
Two men have been rescued from an inflatable boat in waters off Lanzarote after making the journey from Morocco, with both telling emergency services that they intend to seek asylum in Spain.
The two men, who are understood to be Moroccan nationals, were located at sea off the coast of Lanzarote on Wednesday morning, 26 August.
According to information provided by emergency services, the pair told rescuers that they had departed from Safi, a coastal city in western Morocco, before making the journey towards the Canary Islands.
Salvamento Marítimo carries out rescue
Salvamento Marítimo, Spain’s maritime rescue service, was mobilised to assist the small inflatable boat.
A Salvamar rescue vessel brought the two men safely ashore, with both subsequently taken to the port of Arrecife, Lanzarote’s capital.
They arrived at approximately 7am on Wednesday morning.
The men were reported to be in apparently good health following the rescue.
There were no reports of additional people being aboard the inflatable boat.
The men say they want to seek asylum
Once they had been brought to safety, the two men informed emergency personnel that they intended to apply for asylum.
This means their situation will be dealt with through Spain’s established procedures for people requesting international protection.
An asylum request is a formal application for protection, and the fact that someone arrives irregularly by sea does not in itself determine the outcome of an asylum application. Each case is assessed through the relevant Spanish procedures.
Another arrival involving Lanzarote’s emergency services
The incident highlights the continued role played by Lanzarote and its emergency services in maritime rescue operations involving people attempting to reach the Canary Islands from the nearby African coast.
The route between the northwest coast of Africa and the Canary Islands can involve a considerable sea crossing, with conditions capable of changing quickly. Small inflatable boats can also be particularly vulnerable in open water.
For Lanzarote residents, these incidents often involve a coordinated response between maritime rescue teams, emergency services and personnel working at the island’s ports.
For visitors to the island, the rescue operation is another reminder that the waters surrounding Lanzarote and the Canary Islands are an important maritime route between Africa and Europe, as well as busy waters used by commercial vessels, ferries, fishing boats and recreational craft.
Lanzarote migration and maritime rescues
Small-boat arrivals are an ongoing issue across the Canary Islands, although the number of people involved and the circumstances of individual arrivals can vary considerably.
Lanzarote’s geographical position makes it one of the islands that can be affected by boats travelling from the Moroccan coast.
In this latest case, however, the operation involved just two people, both of whom were brought safely to Arrecife.
The priority for Salvamento Marítimo in such situations is to locate and assist people who may be in difficulty at sea and bring them to safety.
