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A powerful photo released Wednesday by the Spanish Maritime Rescue Service captures a dramatic moment in the perilous journey of migrants crossing the Atlantic. The image shows the rescue of a newborn baby and other passengers aboard a small rubber dinghy, just moments after they were saved near Spain’s Canary Islands.
The infant, only a few hours old, was found lying on a bundle of belongings, his tiny, naked body exposed to the elements, surrounded by African migrants clad in winter jackets. The mother and several other men and women were crammed into the overcrowded boat, making a dangerous journey to Europe in hopes of finding a better life.
As much of Spain celebrated Epiphany on Monday, the crew of the Guardamar Talía lifeboat, led by Captain Domingo Trujillo, was engaged in this life-saving operation. It wasn’t the first time Trujillo had encountered such a situation—he had previously led a similar rescue in 2020, where a baby born during the voyage was also safely cared for.
The photo, taken from above, shows the newborn and presumed mother surrounded by other migrants, all packed tightly into the boat, some perched precariously on the sides. It serves as a stark reminder of the extreme risks thousands of people take in their desperate search for safety and a future in Europe.
In 2023, more than 61,000 people arrived in Spain irregularly by sea, with roughly 46,000 landing in the Canary Islands, just 95 kilometers from Morocco. Among them were thousands of unaccompanied minors. The International Organization for Migration reports that at least 5,000 lives have been lost on this dangerous route since it began tracking deaths in 2014. However, Spanish migrant rights organization Caminando Fronteras estimates that the true toll is much higher, with over 10,000 people perishing or disappearing in 2023 alone while attempting the treacherous crossing.
This tragedy highlights the ongoing human cost of migration and the urgent need for safer and more humane solutions.
