An association representing more than 500 Guardia Civil officers across Alicante has denounced the delay in the Maritime Protection department took to attend the reported sightings of immigrants in small boats off the coast of Torrevieja and Orihuela.
The complaint was raised after two boats were spotted off the coast at around 2:00 in the morning on Saturday, but the Maritime Patrol vessel was in Altea monitoring a firework display out at sea. It subsequently took them 3 hours to move to the Torrevieja area and attend the incoming boats.
In less than a week, four boats with 30 immigrants on board have landed on the Alicante coastline, bringing the total number attended by the Cruz Roja to 277 since 2007.
There was an influx of people in 2007, but then the coastline around Torrevieja and Orihuela, as well as Pilar de la Horadada, was largely boat free until this recent wave.
The group are requesting the maritime patrols be used “correctly” and they do not feel that a firework display was an important use of the vessel which is designated to patrol the waters for the protection of everybody in them. They also prised the region of Murcia for creating a fixed patrol in the San Javier area, which they feel could be extended to the south of Alicante to ensure protection is maintained.
Filed under: http://www.theleader.info/article/44568/
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