The Canary Islands will deploy drones to detect and track the routes of migrant boats in order to reduce the number of drownings at sea. The regional president, Fernando Clavijo, presented the Agamenon project, which will use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to monitor the waters between northwest Africa and the Canary Islands, where boats, many of them precarious, frequently pass with migrants.
In his announcement from Fuerteventura, Clavijo highlighted that almost 10,000 migrants died at sea in 2024, making this route one of the deadliest in the world. The drones, with thermal cameras and heat sensors, will make it possible to detect boats and activate assistance if necessary.
The Agamenon project, funded with almost two million euros from the EU's INTERREG MAC 2021-2027 programme, will focus on surveillance, with support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The project is coordinated by the Cabildo of Fuerteventura, with the collaboration of the Canary Islands government, the Spanish police, and the authorities of Gambia and Senegal, as well as Frontex, Europol and the European Commission.
Clavijo stressed that the drones will help monitor migrant mafias and improve the management of resources, especially in the care of unaccompanied minors making the journey. "The most important thing is that the drones will help save lives," he said. Gambian Migration Commissioner Binta K.J. Barrow, present at the launch, welcomed international cooperation in addressing the growing migration crisis.
Source: News Bara Bara 31/03/2025