Watch the Med

09/06: 59 travellers rescued to Lanzarote

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 11:19:00 GMT

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 09th of June 2024 Case name: 2024_06_09-ATL010 Situation: Group of 59 travellers rescued to Lanzarote after their departure from Tan Tan, Morocco. Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded Place of Incident: Atlantic Ocean Summary of the Case: On the 9th of June, a relative alerted the Alarm Phone shift team to a boat in distress in the Atlantic Ocean. The group of 59 travellers, including five women and one child, had departed from Tan Tan, Morocco, in a zodiac. The shift team managed to reach the travellers who reported that they were exhausted, in particular the child, and needed help. The shift team alerted the relevant authorities, relaying all information to them, including the position and phone number of the people on the boat. In the next hours, the shift team reached the travellers again and again, and their situation got worse as they had not eaten in three days and were running out of water. Around 17 hours after the first alert to the boat, the shift team was informed that the boat had been rescued to Lanzarote.

06/06: 58 travellers returned to Morocco

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 11:17:00 GMT

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 06th of June 2024 Case name: 2024_06_06-ATL009 Situation: Boat with 58 travellers was returned to Morocco. Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded Place of Incident: Atlantic Ocean Summary of the Case: On the 6th of June, a relative alerted the Alarm Phone shift team to a boat in distress in the Atlantic Ocean. The group of 58 travellers, including two women and one child, had left Tan Tan, Morocco, on the 5th of June in a plastic boat in direction of Lanzarote. The shift team managed to reach the travellers. We learned that their engine was not working anymore and got their GPS-position, and forwarded the alert and information about the boat to Spanish and Moroccan search and rescue authorities. Soon after, the Moroccan authorities confirmed that a patrol boat has left in direction of the boat in distress. The next morning, the shift team got the information that the boat had been returned to Morocco.

03/06: 130 -150 travellers remain missing in the Atlantic

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 11:14:00 GMT

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 3rd of June 2024 Case name: 2024_06_03-ATL008 Situation: 130 -150 travellers remain missing after their departure from Mauretania in a wooden boat. Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded Place of Incident: Atlantic Ocean Summary of the Case: On the 3rd of June, a relative alerted the Alarm Phone shift team to a boat in distress in the Atlantic Ocean. The group of between 130 and 150 travellers had left Nouakchott, Mauretania, in a wooden boat four days earlier in an attempt to reach the Canaries. The relative had no information about the whereabouts of the group. The shift team alerted the Spanish, Senegalese and Mauretanian authorities, relaying all information about this case to them and throughout the next days, the shift teams tried to find information on the missing boat. After some days, Alarm Phone had to close the case without knowing what has happened to the travellers in the Atlantic. We sincerely hope that the missing people are still alive and that their relatives are not left in eternal uncertainty about the fate of their loved ones. Tweets about this case: https://x.com/alarm_phone/status/1798312075539939790

27/05: 10 travellers arrived to Spain

Tue, 28 May 2024 11:11:00 GMT

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 27th of May 2024 Case name: 2024_05_27-WM013 Situation: 10 travellers arrived in Spain after their departure from Nador, Morocco. Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded Place of Incident: Western Mediterranean Summary of the Case: On the 27th of May, a relative alerted the Alarm Phone shift team to a boat in distress in the Western Mediterranean Sea. According to the relative, a zodiac had departed on the 26th early in the morning from Nador, Morocco, carrying ten travellers. The shift team alerted the relevant authorities, including the Spanish search and rescue organisation Salvamento Maritimo, and relayed all information. In the evening, the relative informed the Alarm Phone that the travellers had arrived in Motril, Spain, and were all doing well.

22/05/2024: Boat from Tobruk, Libya, in distress near Crete, Greece

Thu, 23 May 2024 17:47:00 GMT

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 22nd of May 2024 Case name: 2024_05_22-Eastern Med - 217 Situation: 22/05/2024: Boat from Tobruk, Libya, in distress near Crete, Greece Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded Place of Incident: Eastern Med Summary of the Case: During the evening of the 22nd of May, we received information about a boat which had left Tobruk in Libya three days prior. We were contacted by worried relatives who were asking us to help urgently. We tried to reach the people on the boat directly by phone, but could not establish a connection with them. At 21:21 CEST we informed different authorities in Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Turkey, Italy and Malta about the missing boat, even though we could not provide the current position of the people. In the following hours, we called the phone number of the people on the boat which had been given to us repeatedly by relatives, but still could not reach them. At 04:45 CEST the next day, the Egyptian Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) Cairo called Alarm Phone and informed us that they knew the position of the group. They later informed us that they had ordered the merchant vessel JULIET to the last known position of the boat. It turned out that the people on the boat could only be reached on a different number than then one provided to us. The last known position that JRCC Cairo had shared showed the group to be in international waters, south of the Greek island of Crete, in the Egyptian Search and Rescue zone. Despite this, Crete was the closest port, 74 nautical miles away. The Egyptian harbour of Port Said was far, around 350 nautical miles. The people reported that their battery was very low. Their boat was drifting and they had already been at sea for three days. At 11:16 CEST on May 24th, the JRCC Cairo informed us via mail that the people had been found and rescued by the merchant vessel JULIET. Tragically, one person had died in the water and the body had vanished in the waves during the attempt to recover it. JRCC Cairo announced that the merchant vessel was heading towards Crete to disembark the people in Greece and would continue its course afterwards toward Turkey, its destination port. However, it then turned out that it had not yet been agreed by Greek authorities that the people could disembark on Crete. Despite this, the merchant vessel continued in this direction. This was according to its legal obligations, which state that any survivors of such an incident must be taken to the closest port of safety, which clearly was the port of Crete. On the phone, Greek authorities said there was still no final decision about whether or not the people would be allowed to disembark in Crete, as the boat had not been rescued in the Greek Search and Rescue zone. We underlined again to Greek authorities that it is the obligation of all involved parties to coordinate rescue to the closest port and reiterated the fact that Egypt is no safe place for people on the move, especially as Egyptian nationals on board who had fled the country. Meanwhile, the captain of the JULIET was worried and nervous as it seemed to him that nobody wanted to let the survivors disembark. In the following hours, it seemed that an agreement was found between the involved parties, and the JULIET continued towards Crete. The boat, with the people on board, had to spend the night south of the island, near the port of Kaloi Limenes. The next morning, on May 24th, at 07:57 CEST the captain of the JULIET confirmed that the Hellenic Coast Guard had transhipped the people and taken them to Crete. Afterwards, we were contacted by the relatives of the person who vanished in the waves. We tried to help them in their search for the body, so far without success. We mourn their loss and stand in solidarity with them. We'll continue to do our best to support them in their search for clarity and justice. Twitter: https://x.com/alarm_phone/status/1793600209404256416

20/05/2024: 33 people in distress near Crete, Greece, probably rescued to Crete

Tue, 21 May 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 20th of May 2024 Case name: 2024_05_20-Eastern Med - 214 Situation: 20/05/2024: 33 people in distress near Crete, Greece, probably rescued to Crete Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded Place of Incident: Eastern Med Summary of the Case: At 13:54 CEST on May 20th, we alerted the Hellenic Coast Guard to a boat carrying 33 people in distress near Crete. The people told us that water was entering the boat and that the motor was no longer working. They said that they could see the island of Crete already and were urgently asking for help. Shortly after, the people confirmed that the Hellenic Coast Guard had reached them and that they were ok. We tweeted about the development: https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1792528308271288363 However, the Hellenic Coast Guard told us that they did not find the people. At the same time, they informed us that a boat with 33 people was found not far away from the location of this distress case by the so-called Libyan coast guard. At the same time, there was some confusion, as the people directly informed us that they were on land and were well. Despite our best efforts, we could not clarify the details of the situation and closed the case, as it seemed the distress situation was at least solved. We tweeted again: https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1792599277660721340

18/05/2024: 32 people rescued by Hellenic Coast Guard and taken to Crete, Greece

Sun, 19 May 2024 13:23:00 GMT

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 18th of May 2024 Case name: 2024_05_18-Eastern Med - 206 Situation: 32 people rescued by Hellenic Coast Guard and taken to Crete, Greece Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded Place of Incident: Eastern Med Summary of the Case: During the early morning of May 18th, 2024, Alarm Phone received an alert about a boat in distress near Crete. According to the received information, the people had left from Cyprus towards Italy. We could not reach the boat directly but nonetheless immediately alerted the Hellenic Coast Guard, providing the last known position. When calling the Hellenic Coast Guard, they said they would investigate the case. At 10:50 CEST, the port authority of Kaloi Limenes confirmed that they had rescued the boat with 32 people onboard and that they were already on a bus to Heraklion. We tweeted about the outcome: https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1791761882279297071

18/05: Group of travellers stuck on Alboran island were brough to Spain

Sun, 19 May 2024 11:07:00 GMT

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 18th of May 2024 Case name: 2024_05_18-WM012 Situation: Group of 37 travellers stuck on Alboran island for days were eventually rescued to Spanish mainland. Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded Place of Incident: Western Mediterranean Summary of the Case: On the 18th of May, a relative alerted the Alarm Phone shift team to a distress case on the Alboran island. It concerned a group of around 37 people who had set off from Nador, Morocco, on the 15th of May. The group had not had anything to eat or drink for three days and were in a difficult situation. The shift team passed the information on to the relevant authorities and then tried again and again to reach the group of travellers - without success. The Spanish search and rescue organisation Salvamento Maritimo informed the shift team that the group was now under the supervision of the military and that Salvamento Maritimo would set out to rescue the group as soon as the weather improved. After that, it became increasingly unclear what was happening to the people on the military island - there was still no contact. The people seemed to be stuck on the island. A few days later, a relative reported to the Alarm Phone that seven women had been taken off the island by helicopter. Shortly afterwards, the Alarm Phone learned that the people had all been taken to Motril, Spain. Tweets about this case: https://x.com/alarm_phone/status/1792133714178175353

15/05/2024: 21 people taken by merchant vessel to Egypt, in forced disembarkation coordinated by Hellenic Coast Guard

Thu, 16 May 2024 12:55:00 GMT

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 15th of May 2024 Case name: 2024_05_15-Eastern Med - 195 Situation: 21 people taken by merchant vessel to Egypt, in forced disembarkation coordinated by Hellenic Coast Guard Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded Place of Incident: Eastern Med Summary of the Case: During the early evening of May 15th, the Alarm Phone was in contact with 21 people in distress between Libya and the Greek island of Crete. They said they had already been at sea for two nights. They reported high waves around them and were calling for urgent assistance. At 18:47 CEST, we informed authorities in the area, including the Italian, the Maltese, the Greek, and the Libyan MRCC. Shortly after, we sent them an update to inform them that water was entering the boat and reiterated the urgent request for assistance. At 20:08 CEST, we sent an email to the nearby merchant vessel SKAIA 1, to ask for immediate support. At 21:59 CEST, the so-called Libyan coast guard said on the phone that they would not send a boat for assistance, as by the time they would have reached the boat in distress, they would already be in Greek waters. At 00:35 CEST, the Hellenic Coast Guard claimed that they had sent a vessel to the last known position, but that they had not found anybody. We could not confirm this information independently. At 03:08 CEST the next day, we received a new position from the people, which we immediately shared with the Hellenic Coast Guard. Some hours later, the Hellenic Coast Guard told us on the phone that the people were safe and were onboard a merchant vessel called the “Athens Voyager”. We later found out that the vessel was sailing towards Port Said, in Egypt. This was alarming, as Egypt is no safe place for people on the move and any return would be a forced disembarkation, coordinated by the Hellenic Coast Guard despite Crete being the closest port of safety. During the morning, we managed to talk to the Egpytian authorities who confirmed the information that the 21 people were onboard the Athens Voyager which was heading towards Port Said. We informed the company of the merchant vessel about the grave concerns for the safety of disembarking survivors in Egypt. We underlined that this country is not considered as safe, either as a country of origin for asylum seekers, or for third countries nationals in transit through Egypt. We outlined the following: “According to Human Rights Watch during 2022, Egyptian authorities and security forces subjected refugees and asylum seekers to arbitrary detention, physical abuse, and refoulement—forced returns to a country where individuals may face threats to their lives or freedom, torture, or other serious harm. Egypt is a party to the 1951 UN and 1969 African (OAU) refugee conventions and the 1984 Convention against Torture, which prohibit refoulement.” On the phone, the company of the merchant vessel confirmed that they were aware of the situation in Egypt but said that they acted according to the coordination of the Hellenic Coast Guard. We intervened at different levels to try and prevent the forced diesmbarkation in Egypt. We talked to the Hellenic Coast Guard, the captain of the Athens Voyager and the Egyptian authorities. Unfortunately, we were not successful. The next evening, the Athens Voyager arrived in Port Said. We condemned this forced disembarkation to Egypt on Twitter and closed the case afterwards:: The ATHENS VOYAGER has arrived in Port Said. We denounce their return to a place they tried to escape from. According to our information, the operation was coordinated by @HCoastGuard who ordered disembarkation in #Egypt, despite #Crete being the closest port! All tweets: https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1790788550012670123 https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1791013380234305717 https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1791057343058223554 https://x.com/alarm_phone/status/1791135366457463135 https://x.com/alarm_phone/status/1791495830592946226 https://x.com/alarm_phone/status/1791739388558254133

10/05: 56 travellers in distress, returned to Morocco

Sat, 11 May 2024 11:04:00 GMT

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 10th of May 2024 Case name: 2024_05_10-ATL007 Situation: Group of travellers in distress in the Atlantic Ocean were returned by the Moroccan navy. Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded Place of Incident: Atlantic Ocean Summary of the Case: On the 10th of May, a relative alerted the Alarm Phone shift team to a boat in distress in the Atlantic Ocean. It concerned a boat that carried 56 travellers, among them nine women, seven minors and one baby. They had left from a beach between Tan Tan and Guelmim, Morocco, in the morning hours of the same day. The shift team alerted Spanish authorities, including the Spanish search and rescue organisation Salvamento Maritimo, relaying all the information to them. Throughout the next hours, the shift teams tried to reach the travellers and eventually managed to get a new position and heard that the engine was not working anymore, the situation getting worse and worse. The shift team alerted MRCC Morocco, and after several hours of uncertainty about the authorities' efforts, Alarm Phone learned that the boat had been picked up by the Moroccan navy.

08/05/2024: 47 people rescued 15 nm south of Gavdos island, Crete, Greece

Thu, 09 May 2024 12:35:00 GMT

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 08th of May 2024 Case name: 2024_05_08-Eastern Med - 184 Situation: 47 people rescued 15 nm south of Gavdos island, Crete, Greece Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded Place of Incident: Eastern Med Summary of the Case: During the night of May 8th, 2024, we received information about a boat carrying 47 people in distress near the Greek island of Crete. We were not able to reach the people to confirm their position and their situation. We informed the Hellenic Coast Guard about the situation, as the relative who informed us was very worried. The next day we learned from local media reports that the Hellenic Coast Guard had “located and rescued” the group 15 nautical miles south of the Greek island of Gavdos. The people were then taken to Crete. The Hellenic Coast Guard confirmed this information on the phone later that day. Twitter: https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1788159234313531733

07/05: Group of travellers intercepted by Algerian authorities

Wed, 08 May 2024 11:02:00 GMT

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 07th of May 2024 Case name: 2024_05_07-WM011 Situation: Group of travellers has most probably been intercepted by Algerian authorities. Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded Place of Incident: Western Mediterranean Summary of the Case: On the 7th of May, a relative alerted the Alarm Phone shift team to a boat in distress in the Western Mediterranean Sea. It concerned a boat that left Ain Benian, Algeria, five days previously for Ibiza. The shift team tried to contact people on the boat without success and forwarded the alert to the authorities, asking about possible rescues. Over the next hours the shift teams tried to find out what had happened, but with so little information it was difficult to match the boat with rescues and arrivals. Eventually the relative reported that the boat had been intercepted by MRCC Algiers. The Alarm Phone strongly condemns the practice of interceptions and the concomitant disregard for people's freedom of movement.

05/05: After days of travelling, 120 people were brought to Mauritania, two of them died on the way

Mon, 06 May 2024 10:58:00 GMT

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 05th of May 2024 Case name: 2024_05_05-ATL006 Situation: After a long journey, a group of around 120 travellers were intercepted and brought to Mauretania, two of them died on the journey. Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded Place of Incident: Atlantic Ocean Summary of the Case: On the 5th of May, a relative alerted the Alarm Phone shift team to a boat in distress in the Atlantic Ocean. It was a wooden boat with around 120 travellers on board, including ten women, three children and two babies, which had left on 1 May from M'bour, Senegal, in the direction of the Canary Islands. The shift team forwarded the alert to the relevant authorities, including the Spanish search and rescue organisation Salvamento Maritimo, and repeatedly tried to contact the travellers to find out more about their current situation and position, without success. A few days later, the shift team learned that the Senegalese navy had intercepted a boat matching the number of people of the one the Alarm Phone had been alerted to. However, this rumour did not seem to be confirmed and in the following days the shift teams, together with relatives, tried to find out where the people were. After a few days, Alarm Phone learned from a relative that the boat had been intercepted to Mauretania. The relative reported from a conversation with one of the travellers that the group had arrived on a Spanish island five days after their departure and could not disembark there, but were told to continue their journey. Two hours after this incident, they were chased by three boats and finally taken to Mauritania. Two of the travellers died on the way, and when they arrived to Mauritania another traveller collapsed. The remaining travellers tried to help him but found themselves in a difficult situation as they were left alone by the authorities in a country that was foreign to them and had nowhere to go and had nothing with them. The Alarm Phone condemns the authorities' practice of interceptions of pushbacks by proxy and hopes that the survivors of this group will be well. Tweets about this case: https://x.com/alarm_phone/status/1787200497058787647

04/05: Eighteen travellers in distress arrived in Cartagena

Sun, 05 May 2024 10:56:00 GMT

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 04th of May 2024 Case name: 2024_05_04-WM010 Situation: Group of eighteen travellers from Algeria probably arrived in Cartagena. Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded Place of Incident: Western Mediterranean Summary of the Case: On the 4th of May, a relative alerted the Alarm Phone shift team to a boat in distress in the Western Mediterranean Sea. The group of 18 travellers had left from Mostaganem, Algeria, in direction of Cartagena on the 3rd of May on a iron boat and could not be reached anymore. The shift team tried multiple times to reach them but did not manage and therefore alerted the relevant authorities without having had direct contact to them. More relatives contacted the shift team, asking for news about their loved ones. In the late evening we finally reached the travellers and learned that they had safely arrived on land, most probably in Cartagena.

01/05/2024: 45 people rescued by merchant vessel and brought to Crete by Hellenic Coast Guard

Thu, 02 May 2024 12:19:00 GMT

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 1st of May 2024 Case name: 2024_05_01-Eastern Med - 172 Situation: 45 people rescued by merchant vessel and brought to Crete by Hellenic Coast Guard Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded Place of Incident: Eastern Med Summary of the Case: Late in the evening of the 1st of May, Alarm Phone received an alert from 45 people on a boat in distress near Crete. They reported that there were sick people on board, with many vomitting, and some with blood in their vomit. They were very stressed and were urgently asking for help. The Hellenic Coast Guard said on the phone that they knew about the boat and were looking for them. At 23:54 CEST the people reported that a big vessel was near them, which was shining a bright light on their boat. Shortly after, JRCC Piraeus confirmed on the phone that they had found and rescued the boat. We later learned through an article in local media that a merchant vessel had rescued the group and then later handed them over to the Hellenic Coast Guard. The Hellenic Coast Guard informed us that all the people were safe. We could not re-establish contact with the group to confirm this. Twitter: https://x.com/alarm_phone/status/1785982549996576962

16/04: 71 travellers in distress rescued in the Atlantic Ocean

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 10:52:00 GMT

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 16th of April 2024 Case name: 2024_04_16-ATL005 Situation: Boat carrying 71 travellers in distress was rescued in the Atlantic Ocean. Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded Place of Incident: Atlantic Ocean Summary of the Case: In the evening of the 16th of April, a relative alerted the Alarm Phone shift team to a distress case in the Atlantic. According to the relative, the rubber boat carried 71 travellers, including 12 women, and had departed in the morning hours of the same day from Dakhla, heading toward the Canaries. The shift team managed to get in touch with the travellers who reported that the situation was difficult, water started entering the boat and people were vomiting and sick. The shift team alerted the Spanish search and rescue organisation Salvamento Maritimo, relaying all these information and the current position, that they kept updating in the following hours. Salvamento Maritimo launched a search and rescue operation and a merchant vessel was instructed to search for the travellers in distress. In the end, the travellers were rescued by Salvamento Maritimo.

16/04: 45 travellers in distress arrived to Gran Canaria

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 10:49:00 GMT

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 16th of April 2024 Case name: 2024_04_16-ATL004 Situation: Boat carrying 45 travellers in distress arrived to Gran Canaria. Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded Place of Incident: Atlantic Ocean Summary of the Case: In the night of the 16th of April, a relative alerted the Alarm Phone shift team to a distress case in the Atlantic. The boat carried 45 travellers, including 12 women and one child and had departed in the night of the 15th from a place between Tarfaya and Akhfennir, heading toward the Canaries. The shift team did not manage to contact the travellers but alerted the authorities to the distress case, relaying all information. The next morning, the shift team learned that the boat had arrived to Gran Canaria.

16/04: Boat in distress in the Atlantic, rescued to Lanzarote

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 10:46:00 GMT

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 16th of April 2024 Case name: 2024_04_16-ATL003 Situation: Boat carrying 30 travellers in distress in the Atlantic Ocean was rescued and brought to Lanzarote. Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded Place of Incident: Atlantic Ocean Summary of the Case: On the night of the 16th of April, a relative alerted the Alarm Phone shift team to a distress case in the Atlantic. The boat with 30 travellers, including one woman and four children, had set off from Tan Tan, Morocco, in the morning of the 15th of April and had run out of fuel. In addition, water was slowly but surely getting into the boat and people were panicking, the relative reported. The shift team alerted the Spanish search and rescue organisation Salvamento Maritimo and passed on all known information to them. Throughout the night, the shift team managed to reach the travellers, who confirmed the situation described by the relative and gave their GPS location. The shift team kept in touch with the travellers, whose situation continued to deteriorate as part of the boat broke down and more and more water came in, and passed the information on to the authorities. The next afternoon, the shift team learned that this boat, along with others, had been rescued and taken to Lanzarote.

15/04: 16 travellers in distress arrived on Spanish mainland

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 10:43:00 GMT

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 15th of April 2024 Case name: 2024_04_15-WM009 Situation: Group of 16 travellers from Algeria in distress in the Western Mediterranean Sea finally arrived on Spanish mainland. Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded Place of Incident: Western Mediterranean Summary of the Case: In the evening of the 15th of April, a group of travellers alerted the Alarm Phone shift team to their distress situation in the Western Mediterranean Sea. The group consisted of 16 travellers, including 1 woman and two sick babies, and had departed from Mostaganem, Algeria, in a zodiac in the early morning of the same day. When the travellers alerted the shift team, the engine had stopped working and they were not in sight of land. During the night, the shift team tried to find the exact position of the group and the Spanish search and rescue organisation set out to find the travellers. Eventually, the shift team learned that the travellers had arrived safely on land.

05/04: Three travellers stranded on Alboran Island

Sat, 06 Apr 2024 10:39:00 GMT

Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 05 of April 2024 Case name: 2024_04_05-WM008 Situation: The fate of three travellers stranded on Alboran Island is still unknown. Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded Place of Incident: Western Mediterranean Summary of the Case: On the 5th of April, a relative alerted the Alarm Phone shift team to a group of three travellers in distress on the Alboran Island, a small, military controlled island belonging to the municipality of Almeria, Spain. The three had left Nador, Morocco, on March 30th, and arrived on Alboran Island. The relative had been sent a photo of them on Alboran Island a week ago, but since then he had not been able to reach them and had heard nothing more from them. The shift team alerted the Spanish search and rescue organization Salvamento Maritimo to the group. Over the next few days, the teams tried to find out where the people were by contacting the relevant authorities, but the authorities refused to provide any information. To this day, the Alarm Phone does not know what happened to the people – we fear that they may have been pushed back to Morocco. The Alarm Phone strongly condemns this practice and hopes that the people have been brought safely to the Spanish mainland. Tweets about this case: https://x.com/alarm_phone/status/1776622967721472454