Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 03 of March 2024
Case name: 2024_03_03-WM005
Situation: A group of 40 to 50 travellers was left behind on the Alboran Island and it is still unclear, what has happened to the group.
Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded
Place of Incident: Western Mediterranean

Summary of the Case: On the 3rd of March 2024, a relative informed the Alarm Phone shift team, that three or four rubber boats with more than 190 travellers, that had left from Nador, Marocco, have arrived on the Alboran Island on the 25th of February. Around 140 of them have been rescued by the Spanish search and rescue organization Salvamento Maritimo, but 40 to 50 people were still on the island when the relative informed alarmphone. The shift team called Salvamento Maritimo to get information on the group left behind on the island. Different officers shared different information, one denying that they knew about the group, another stating that Salvamento Maritimo knew about the group but did not plan on doing something in this moment, as the Alboran Island was under military influence and thus, Salvamento Maritimo could not rescue without military approval. Another call, this time to Guardia Civil, also brought the shift team no information but again contradictory statements. According to media reports, one of the people left behind was picked up by helicopter in the meantime and died shortly afterwards in the hospital (https://elpais.com/espana/2024-03-02/fallece-en-el-hospital-un-migrante-que-fue-evacuado-en-helicoptero-desde-alboran.html). In the meantime, it was very unclear where the missing people were, as the authorities did not release any information and different information circulated over the next few days. It is still unclear to the Alarm Phone what has happened to the group left behind on Alboran Island - we sincerely hope that they have been rescued and that their families will receive clarity – and we condemn this leaving behind people in the strongest possible terms.

Tweets about this case: https://x.com/alarm_phone/status/1764566615289368595?s=20