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.
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.