Each year, thousands of West Africans travel 1,600 miles across the open sea in an attempt to reach the Canary Islands, owned by Spain. If Spanish authorities can't prove where the boats are from, Spanish law allows the passengers to emigrate to the mainland as undocumented workers. For a poor West African, even undocumented status is like winning the lottery.
To get to that point, however, the travelers have to take serious risks. In 2007 alone, nearly a thousand people died along the way. Nevertheless, they keep trying. Reporter Michael Kavanagh brings us this story. |
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