The Yemeni Defence Ministry has disclosed that at least 42 illegal African migrants have drowned in the Arabian Sea off the southern coast of Yemen on Sunday night.
Further details by the Defence Ministry quoted a local official in the Shabwa province as saying that the migrants drowned off the coastal town of Bir Ali.
It further added that the navy patrol team managed to rescue 30 of the illegal migrants and they were being taken to a refugee camp in the town of Mayfaa in southern coast.
The bodies of those dead have been recovered and would be buried in a mass grave, the Yemeni authorities added.
African illegal migrants mostly from Sub-Saharan Africa often use dangerous boats to try to reach the Middle East in their quest to reach Europe and other wealthy countries in the Middle East.
The Tunisian Navy last month rescued more than 100 African illegal migrants who were completely stranded off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, after the boat they were traveling in from Libya developed a fault.
In that same month of February again, the Italian and Spanish authorities also reported that they have rescued some 1,214 illegal African migrants mostly from Sub- Sahara Africa who were crossing illegally into their respective countries.
The Spanish Interior Minister, Jorge Fernandez Diaz said pressure on Ceuta and Melilla has intensified as more migrants try to access Spain and other European countries on the shores of the Mediterranean. Most analysts blame the increase of illegal migration to Europe and the Middle East on the Arab Spring which has left many North African countries weak in their security operations.
Around 3,000 illegal migrants entered Spain in the first half of 2013 official and data shows double the figure for the same period in 2012. Most came through the Moroccan enclaves.
According to the Italian government, a total of 42,925 illegal migrants arrived by sea last year which is more than three times in 2012.
The true number of migrants who died attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Africa to Europe is not known exactly but in October, more than 400 people were drowned in two shipwrecks near the Italian island of Lampedusa. All of them died.
Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News
Writer’s Email Address: Adamsisska@googlemail.com
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