The interior of cayucos and boats “explains” the hardness of the Canarian route
The Canary Islands route, one of the longest and most dangerous maritime migratory routes, was reactivated in 2020 due to the pandemic and multiple sociopolitical factors that favored the activity of mafias that traffic people on the northwest coast of Africa. From January 2020 to September of this year, more than 128,000 people have arrived in the archipelago irregularly. The number of boats and people who undertake the route is unknown, although it is estimated that between 5% and 8% of those who leave Africa die on this journey. Due to the clandestine nature of the trips and the lack of official records of departures, everything indicates that it will continue to be impossible to determine the death toll on this route. In 2024, from January to May, the annual record of deaths that have been documented along this journey has already been surpassed. It is expected that the number of victims will continue to increase due to the precariousness of the boats and the intensification of border control that has caused the displacement of journeys towards longer routes.
The boats
Since 2000, more than 2,660 irregular vessels have arrived in the Canary Islands from northwest Africa.
During the pandemic and the following months, hundreds of boats lay scattered across its beaches and ports. Since the borders reopened to tourism in 2021, they were quickly removed and hidden from public view in various warehouses spread across the different islands.
The sea crossing to the Canary Islands runs between 80 and 100 kilometers from Morocco and Western Sahara, while from the coasts of Senegal and Gambia the boats travel up to 1,700 kilometers. The characteristics of the boats differ depending on the country of origin, but they all have in common that they are simple traditional fishing barges designed for short trips on the ocean.
The boats that leave from Morocco and Western Sahara are usually called pateras, they are usually built with wood or fiberglass and make the shortest journeys on this route. Medium in size, they can carry between 50 and 60 people and are painted in colors such as blue, green, black or white.
The boats that leave from Mauritania, Gambia or Senegal are known as cayucos. Those from Gambia and Senegal can measure 25 meters long and carry up to 300 people. They are made of wood and the helmets are decorated in bright colors. Mauritanian canoes are made of fiberglass and are smaller than Senegalese or Gambian ones. They are usually painted white on the outside and light blue on the inside.
Navigation
The engines used are low power, between 40 and 70 horsepower. They usually travel with two on board, one of them as a spare. Fuel is stored in blue plastic drums at the stern of the boat. The engine propeller comes into contact with the water through a hole in the bottom of the hull, which often causes flooding and shipwreck. The rudders are made of iron and are operated manually. To guide themselves in the open sea they depend on a GPS that if it stops working causes the boat to drift.
Safety on board
Depending on the port of departure, some vessels sail up to 1,700 kilometers between storms, strong currents and the almost constant presence of trade winds in this area of the ocean. The remains found inside the boats show what could have happened during the trip. If their engines fail, they run out of fuel, or they lose their rudder, they are at the mercy of the water for days or weeks. With limited resources on board, paddles made by hand from canoe crossbars and plastic from gasoline cans may be the only option to try to reach the destination. Security on board is precarious, with few resources for safe navigation.
Logistics
The cayucos travel equipped with gas cylinders for cooking, normally located in the central part of the boat. Because it is the shortest journey, food is not usually prepared on the boats, which are carried in bags. Pots, glasses and knives are mixed with personal effects. To avoid confusion with engine fuel, water is stored in yellow containers. If food or water runs out, the priority is to feed and keep alive the captain of the boat. Children and women come next.
the arrival
If the vessel is intercepted in Spain’s salvage responsibility area and is in good condition, it is escorted to the nearest safe port in the Canary Islands. If it is found to be in poor condition, the occupants are transferred to the rescue ship and taken to port. If they are lost or the engine fails, if they are not detected in time they are dragged by currents to remote places such as Cape Verde or the Caribbean. The island of El Hierro, the westernmost of the Canary Islands, is the last opportunity for these boats.
personal hygiene
It is not common to find first aid material or anti-sickness pills. During the journey, the boats face the incessant rocking and rolling of the ocean. Occupants often suffer from dizziness for days and severe episodes of vomiting. Even so, they try to maintain personal hygiene without having clean water. Buckets and utensils that they use in turns are usually found on boats. Women are more vulnerable than men during these trips, as there is no private area for personal hygiene and in many African cultures menstruation remains taboo.
The uncountable
The Canary Islands are the deadliest maritime migratory route in the world. Since January 2020, the number of deaths, more than 11,900 until September 2024, only counts deaths in which the bodies could be recovered or the shipwreck is recognized through the testimonies of survivors. The number of boats that have disappeared with all the occupants on board is unknown. There are reports of debris washed up along the Atlantic coast of West Africa or bodies found entangled in the nets of fishing boats, further indicators of unseen shipwrecks and the countless numbers of silent deaths at sea.
