MADRID: Nine migrants were arrested in the Canary Islands on “piracy” charges for forcing the ship that rescued them to change course for Spain instead of Morocco, police and rescuers said on Tuesday.

They were among a group of 78 migrants who tried to cross from the African coast to the Canary Islands in two boats that got into trouble and were rescued on Monday by a Dutch tugboat.

But when they realised the boat was taking them to the port of Tan Tan in southern Morocco and not to the Spanish archipelago, they allegedly became aggressive towards the crew, pulling out knives.

Following what police called a “mutiny”, the tugboat changed course for Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands, contacting the authorities to let them know what had happened. On arrival, the nine migrants whose nationality was unclear, were arrested by police “on piracy charges”, a police source said.

The Canary Islands have long been a draw for migrants seeking a better life in Europe, with many boats setting off from Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania and even Senegal. But the Atlantic route is particularly dangerous due to the strong currents, with migrants travelling in overloaded, often unseaworthy wooden boats without enough drinking water.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2023