RIO TAJO

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

More than 200 migrants assisted off Granadilla, one dead

On Oct 28, 2023, the Sasemar 101 aircraft located a canoe 82 miles off Granadilla. The MRCC of Salvamento Marítimo in Tenerife mobilized the 'Guardamar Calíope' and the patrol boat 'Río Tajo' of the Guardia Civil to the position. The SAR vessel rescued more than 200 people. One person was reportedly dead, and four castaways, who were semi-unconscious, wer evacuated by the SAR helicopter Helimer 206. The rest of the migrants disembarked at LosCristianos. Photo: https://twitter.com/salvamentogob/status/1718206272703492605

Migrants returned to Senegal

168 migrants returned to Senegal on Aug 30 after spending almost a week in limbo on the 'Rio Tajo'. They were expected to arrive in Dakar by sea in the evening. Since Aug 24, the migrants had been stuck aboard a Civil Guard vessel near the northwest African nation of Mauritania after authorities there refused to let them disembark. The crew on the 'Rio Tajo' at multiple points fired gunshots into the air to quell riot attempts. On Aug 29, the Spanish Commission for Refugees (CEAR) asked Spanish authorities not to bring the migrants back to Senegal, since the current political and social situation in Senegal was very delicate and could put these people at risk.

Migrant odyssey ended after six days

On Aug 30 the 'Rio Tajo' has completed the transfer of the 168 rescued migrants to another Senegalese navy ship that has brought them ashore in good condition on Aug 30. The Spanish patrol boat had not been able to dock directly for technical reasons because the draft of the port was insufficient for a ship of its size. This put an end to the odyssey of the boat people who have spent six days on the deck of the Civil Guard ship after Mauritania refused to disembark them in Nouadhibou and Spain reached an agreement with Senegal to return the people to the country where the vast majority came from.