Fourteen Moroccan sailors, including minor, seek asylum in Canary Islands

Fourteen Moroccan sailors, including a minor, applied for political asylum after their boat arrived late last night at the port of Arrecife, the capital of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, according to the Spanish government’s delegation in the archipelago, as reported by EFE.

The sailors claimed that the ship's captain owes them wages for at least three months, prompting their decision to sail toward Arrecife, although the port from which they departed remains unknown. Upon arrival, they were denied entry to Spain under immigration laws and subsequently applied for political asylum. The sailors are currently being held in the «non-admittance» area of the Arrecife port.

If their asylum applications are rejected, they will be deported back to Morocco, except for the minor, who will be taken into the care of the Canary Islands government.