Surveillance and control of the maritime space off the Algarve coast have been reinforced by authorities, following the disembarkation of a group of 38 migrants from a small boat at Vila do Bispo, on Friday.
The Portuguese Navy and the National Maritime Authority announced the "joint and coordinated planning of resources" aims to "ensure increased capacity in the detection and interception of vessels that may attempt to illegally access national territory by sea."
The 38 migrants that landed at Boca do Rio consist of 25 men and 6 six women, aged 44 and under, plus seven minors, including a 12-month-old baby, and are of Moroccan nationality.
"We presume that they may have originated in North Africa, directly in Morocco, since all the citizens identified are of Moroccan nationality," Major Ilídio Barreiros, of the GNR's Coastal and Border Control Unit, told Lusa news agency.
“Due to their weak state, dehydration and hypothermia, they were exposed to adverse weather conditions for a considerable period,” he added, referring to a crossing lasting “several days.”
The group is suspected of "illegal immigration by sea" because they "entered the Schengen area illegally, without meeting the entry requirements," said a source from the GNR's Coastal and Border Control Unit. 31 of the migrants have already been sent to the Silves Court, where they will be heard by the judge on duty, while the rest, including three minors - aged 12 months, eight and 10 - remain hospitalized.
They are subject to a notification of voluntary abandonment or a process of coercive removal or, as a last resort, even immediate transfer to the border, and may await a decision in temporary installation centers.
Authoroties also ask for “the public’s collaboration”, requesting that they contact the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center or the Local Maritime Police Command if they observe “suspicious vessels or unusual movements along the Portuguese coast”.
