Three migrants survive 11 days on the rudder of a ship

(CNN) — The Spanish Coast Guard rescued three people who were at the helm of a ship that arrived in the Canary Islands from Nigeria.

In a photo released by the Coast Guard on Monday, you can see what the migrants look like at the rudder blade of the Aldini II, an oil and chemical vessel.

The Aldini II arrived in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on Monday after an 11-day voyage from Lagos, Nigeria, according to ship tracking website Marine Traffic.

The Coast Guard said on Twitter that the migrants were transferred to port and treated by health services.

The Canary Islands were a popular gateway for African migrants trying to reach Europe. data Spain Sea migration to the archipelago increased by 51% in the first five months of the year compared to the previous year.

Thousands of migrants leave Africa on dangerous boat journeys

Last year, more than 20,000 migrants made their way to the Canary Islands from the West African coast. According to the Red Cross. More than 1,100 of them died at sea, the organization said.

In 2020, four Nigerian stowaways, hidden in a box on the rudder blade of a Norwegian tanker traveling from Lagos to Las Palmas, survived 10 days at sea. Norwegian media.

That same year, a 14-year-old Nigerian told a Spanish newspaper Country He spent 15 days hiding in a box above the wheel of a cargo ship carrying fuel while sailing from Lagos to the Canary Islands.

According to the Red Cross, poverty, violent conflict and the search for job opportunities are driving the exodus from West Africa.