Authorities from the Canary Islands on Monday rescued three Nigerian stowaways who hid on top of a ship's rudder for the 11-day journey as tensions rise within the European Union over migration policy.

The individuals were discovered on the Alithini II oil tanker while it was at the Las Palmas port by Spain's Salvamento Maritimo. He reported that the three men appeared to show symptoms of dehydration and hypothermia due to their long journey while exposed to nature's brutality. The three men were reportedly treated by medics at the dock and later taken to a hospital.

Nigerian Migrants

A photograph was shared by a media outlet that featured the three men sitting on the massive ship's rudder as their feet dangled near the water's surface. The Maltese-flagged oil tanker left Nigeria on Nov. 17 and was heading to the port, a trip that was estimated to be 2,000 miles long.

Journalist Txema Santana, who is also the migration adviser to the regional government of the Canary Islands, posted a tweet in response to the rescue. She wrote that it was not the first incident and noted that it was most likely not going to be the last. Santana added that some stowaways did not have the same luck, as per Fox News.

In recent years, the Canary Islands have seen many migrants and stowaways, with a 14-year-old Nigerian boy who was able to survive two weeks during a trip from Lagos, Nigeria, to Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands in 2020 while riding a ship's rudder. He reportedly took turns with other men that he traveled with to sleep in an opening above the ship's rudder.

The teenager was later hospitalized after he arrived at the ship's destination. Another incident occurred in the same year and saw four men arrive at Las Palmas from Lagos after enduring 10 days out at sea. The men reportedly hid in a room behind the ship's rudder for the entirety of the voyage.

According to the Washington Post, the latest incident comes amid rising tensions within the European Union over migration policy. Several countries in southern Europe, particularly France and Italy, are arguing over who should be responsible for taking in the growing number of migrants who are arriving by sea.

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Migration Policy Issues

This year, more than 165,000 irregular migrants, many of whom were seeking asylum, have arrived in Europe, which is the highest number since 2017. The International Organization for Migration released data that showed that five years ago, there were a recorded 187,499 irregular migrants.

The bloc has observed a rising number of arrivals in the last month, said the secretary general of the Danish Refugee Council, Charlotte Slente. Authorities said that most recently, many asylum seekers were arriving through overland routes, crossing the Balkans, and traveling westwards through Europe.

The Canary Islands are seen as a popular gateway for African migrants who are trying to reach Europe. Data released by Spanish authorities showed that migration by sea to the archipelago rose by 51% in the first five months of this year in comparison to the year before, CNN reported.

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