Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 20th of June 2023

Case name: 2023_06_20-ATL041

Situation: A boat with around 60 travellers capsized in the Atlantic Ocean. Only 24 survivors were brought back to Morocco. Three corpses were found, the remaining travellers are still missing.

Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded

Place of Incident: Atlantic Ocean

Summary of the case: On Tuesday the 20th of June 2023, the Alarm Phone shift team was alerted by a relative to a group of around 60 travellers, including six women and one child, in distress in the Atlantic Ocean. The travellers had left from Dakhla two days previously at around midnight on a rubber boat. We received their satellite phone number, and immediately called them. On the phone we could hear that the travellers were panicking. They told us that water was entering their boat and that three people had drowned while yet more people had fallen overboard. They were drifting. Despite the difficult communication, we managed to get their GPS position. We immediately relayed all the information we had to the Spanish search and rescue organisation Salvamento Maritimo. We continued trying to reach the travellers, and topped up their satellite phone credit to enable them to communicate while at sea. Just past midnight, we managed to reach the travellers again. They told us that more people had died and that they were all in danger. They also informed us that they could see a big vessel close by and gave us their GPS position. Again, we relayed all information to Salvamento Maritimo. According to Salvamento Maritimo, the merchant vessel on scene would stand by the travellers until the Moroccan navy arrived. We were not able to reach the Moroccan rescue authorities via phone, but forwarded all the information we had via email. At 09.00 CEST the Moroccan rescue authorities told us that a vessel of the Moroccan navy had picked up 24 travellers and were still looking for more people in the water. Later, we learned that the Moroccan navy had not found more people alive. Three bodies had been recovered. The survivors had been brought back to Boujdour. Two women were among those rescued. The child onboard was not.

We are angry and sad to witness yet another tragedy as a result of Europe’s racist border regime. All our thoughts and solidarity are with the friends and families of those who lost their lives as well as with the survivors who had to endure this traumatic event. We demand freedom of movement and safe passages for all!


Tweets about this case: https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1671408926942699523
https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1671452303239331840?cxt=HHwWgIC2mfPAmLIuAAAA
https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1671630645863362560?s=20