Archive news articles

16/08/02

•   A new wave of illegal immigrants arrived on the island of Fuerteventura in at least 6 separate boats in the early hours of last Monday morning.  2 boats were found abandoned at Playa de Jacomar by Guardia Civil officers, and a search was initiated for their passengers.   They were found by a group of campers, who attended to them and informed Local Police of their presence.  Among the group were 3 pregnant women, a mother and her 5-day old baby, another woman and 14 men.

A further 2 boats found at Playa de la Guirra in the Antigua district, brought some 30 immigrants to the island, including 4 women, 2 of which were pregnant, and a child.  One of the women was found in a state of exhaustion and hypothermia and was taken to the General Hospital.  One of the pregnant women has since given birth to a baby boy by Caesarian section.

Two more boats were found in the area of Las Playitas - necessitating another search for the immigrants on board.  Meanwhile, in Lanzarote, Local Police officers in the Tias area found a group of 20 immigrants wandering along the Barranco de El Quinquere in the tourist district of Puerto del Carmen.  In total, 93 immigrants have been detained during Monday and Tuesday in Fuerteventura and Lanzarote.

•   In the south of Tenerife, a number of beaches have been affected this week by a plague of jellyfish.  Beaches at El Médano and La Caleta were evacuated on Tuesday by Guardia Civil officers in an effort to reduce the numbers of people being bitten.  In spite of this, two people required treatment.  On Monday, 39 people had to attend clinics after being bitten while bathing at beaches in Las Galletas, Los Cristianos and Playa de las Américas.   Various areas of these beaches have been cordoned off to prevent people bathing until this plague diminishes.