World enews: African migrants on rudder of a ship rescued by Spanish coast guard after an 11-day voyage

Three African migrants who were balancing on a ship’s rudder were rescued by the Spanish coast guard on Monday after an 11-day voyage, according to officials.

In a tweet published Monday, the coast guard said it rescued the migrants from the rudder of Alithini II, a ship that traveled from Nigeria to the Canary Islands.

They can be seen sitting on the ship’s rudder with their backs bent, apparently due to lack of space, in a picture shared by the agency.

According to EFE, the migrants are three men of sub-saharan descent.

The migrants were taken to the port and treated by health services.

The Alithini II, an oil and chemical tanker, arrived at the Canary Islands on Monday following an 11-day journey from Lagos, Nigeria, according to Marinetraffic.com.

The Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwestern Africa, “are a popular gateway for African migrants attempting to reach Europe,” with Spanish data showing migration to the archipelago increased to 51% the first five months of 2022 compared to last year, Reuters reported.

Mirna Alsharif is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.