Captain of boat carrying 45 people sentenced to four years for illegal immigration


  • 19-01-2025
  • Tenerife
  • Canarian Weekly
  • Photo Credit: Guardia Civil
Captain of boat carrying 45 people sentenced to four years for illegal immigration

The Provincial Court of Santa Cruz (Tenerife) has sentenced the captain of a boat that arrived at the port of Los Cristianos in the south of Tenerife on 4th February 2023, to four years in prison. The boat carried 45 people, including four children, on a perilous nine-day journey from Senegal.

Initially, three people were charged in the case, with the Prosecutor's Office seeking six-year prison terms for each, accusing them of facilitating irregular immigration. However, the court found insufficient evidence to convict two of the defendants as captains of the vessel, reducing the scope of responsibility to one individual.

The court's decision relied on video and photographic evidence taken shortly before the vessel’s arrival, showing the convicted man steering the cayuco. The 13-metre-long boat, constructed from fibre glass and wood, was equipped with two 40-horsepower engines but lacked essential safety features such as navigation lights or communication systems.

A Journey Fraught with Danger

Prosecutors highlighted the cayuco’s unsuitability for open-sea navigation, asserting that its poor condition posed a severe risk to the lives of those on board. The vessel was described as “absolutely unsuitable for sailing on the high seas.”

The journey from Senegal spanned approximately nine days, during which passengers faced unsafe and overcrowded conditions. The boat was eventually towed to port by Spain’s Maritime Rescue Service.

Captain of boat carrying 45 people sentenced to four years for illegal immigration

The court’s decision was informed by statements from five passengers, as well as testimonies from Guardia Civil and National Police officers involved in the operation and subsequent investigation. Video evidence, including footage captured by a passenger during the voyage’s final stage, further supported the conviction.

The case shows the ongoing challenges faced by the Canary Islands in addressing irregular immigration via the Atlantic route, one of the deadliest migration paths globally. The court noted that none of the migrants carried identification documents or entry permits and had not entered through authorised ports.

Witness Statements and Court Proceedings

The case, however, has been marked by contradictions in witness testimonies and unusual developments in court. Initially, three passengers identified the convicted man as one of the boat’s skippers, claiming he had been in charge of steering.

They also stated that approximately ten individuals took turns managing the vessel. However, during the trial, they retracted their statements, declined to identify any of the accused, and alleged that their initial testimonies were given under police pressure—a claim the court rejected.

The court instead relied on statements made during preliminary investigations in the presence of a judge, prosecutor, and defence lawyer. These statements were later contradicted in what the court described as “a strange joint letter,” for which no explanation was provided.

The court emphasised the professionalism of the security forces involved in the case, dismissing claims of coercion. While acknowledging certain procedural gaps due to limited resources, the court upheld the credibility of the original testimonies.

Captain of boat carrying 45 people sentenced to four years for illegal immigration

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