A total of 32 people were missing and 25 others injured after
the boat carrying these illegal immigrants collided with a fishing
boat and capsized in the waters near Mauritania's capital of
Nouakchott on Saturday night.
According to reports from Mauritania on Sunday, the boat had
been bound for the Canary Islands, Spain's Atlantic tropical
resort, when the accident occurred. Authorities were investigating
the identification of the rescued passengers, and many of them were
hospitalized in Nouakchott.
Over 1,000 illegal immigrants from sub-Sahara had been drowned
since January, as part of a constant flow of illegal immigrants
attempting to steal into Spain and other European countries through
Nouakchott and another port city, Nouadhibou, in northwest
Mauritania.
The Mauritanian government has set up a refugee center in
Nouadhibou to shelter those who have been sent back by Spain.
The Spanish government launched an urgent plan in March in the
hope of stemming an upsurge in illegal African immigrants.
Under the plan, Spain provided Mauritania with help in
patrolling its coast in a bid to stop the country's illegal
immigrants, as well as those from sub-Sahara regions.
(Xinhua News Agency April 3, 2006)
