Witchcraft on the High Seas: The Dark Side of Illegal Migration to Europe, By Richard Miller (Londonistan)
In a chilling tale straight out of a horror novel, Spanish police have arrested 19 African migrants suspected of murder, torture, and superstitious killings on a perilous boat journey from Senegal to Spain's Canary Islands. What began as a desperate bid for a better life, devolved into a nightmare of violence, with at least 50 passengers allegedly thrown overboard alive, many accused of "witchcraft" amid engine failures, food shortages, and stormy seas. The wooden vessel, a ramshackle cayuco packed with around 300 souls, was rescued adrift on August 24 with 248 survivors, but the testimonies paint a picture of brutality that exposes the raw dangers of illegal migration routes. As Europe grapples with record migrant arrivals, this incident serves as a grim reminder of the "joys of diversity" promised by open-border advocates: not vibrant cultural exchange, but imported chaos, superstition, and death on the high seas.
The story unfolded over an 11-day ordeal across the Atlantic, one of the world's deadliest migration paths. Departing from Senegal's western coast, the 20-metre pirogue aimed for the Canary Islands, just 67 miles off Africa but separated by treacherous waters. Overcrowded and ill-equipped, the boat's engine sputtered, supplies dwindled, and panic set in. According to survivor accounts gathered by Spain's National Police, a self-appointed "command" of 19 men took control, enforcing a reign of terror.
Witnesses described beatings, shootings, and drownings for the pettiest offenses: protesting the dire conditions or simply falling overboard by accident. But the most macabre element was the role of superstition. When misfortune struck, bad weather, engine breakdowns, or hunger pangs, passengers were branded "witches" and cast into the sea as sacrifices to appease whatever dark forces they believed were at play. Spanish police estimate over 50 deaths, with at least 30 confirmed as deliberate overboard killings. One survivor later died in a Gran Canaria hospital, bringing the toll to at least 51.
Upon rescue south of Gran Canaria, the 248 survivors were housed in migrant centres. There, investigations pinpointed the 19 suspects, mostly Senegalese nationals, as the ringleaders. They face charges of human trafficking, homicide, wounding, and torture. All have been remanded in custody, with police releasing video footage of the arrests to underscore the severity. As one official statement noted, "Homicides were documented simply because some people protested or expressed their disagreement with the travel conditions."
This isn't an isolated horror; the Canary route claimed 4,808 lives in the first five months of 2024 alone, 33 deaths a day. Nearly 47,000 migrants arrived last year, setting records, but the human cost is staggering.
At the heart of this atrocity lies a clash of ancient beliefs and modern desperation. In many West African cultures, witchcraft, often tied to juju or traditional animism, remains a potent fear, blamed for everything from illness to calamity. On the boat, these superstitions turned lethal: A flickering engine? Someone's curse. Empty rations? A witch's hex. The accused, powerless against mob paranoia, were beaten and tossed into the ocean, their pleas drowned out by waves.
This isn't mere folklore; it's a pattern seen in other migrant tragedies. Earlier reports from similar voyages described "death rituals" and ritualistic killings when boats falter. In one case off Mauritania, survivors recounted accusations of witchcraft leading to capsizing and drownings. For the migrants, steeped in communities where such beliefs persist, the high seas amplified their terror, transforming a collective flight from poverty into a floating witch hunt.
Critics of mass migration often point to these cultural imports as the underbelly of "diversity." While proponents tout the enrichment of societies with new traditions, incidents like this reveal the flip side: Superstitions that in Africa might lead to village ostracism here manifest as outright murder on international waters. The 19 arrested, now facing European justice, brought not just their hopes, but their unresolved cultural baggage, witch hunts included, to Spain's shores.
This boat massacre underscores the perils of unchecked illegal migration. The Atlantic route, favoured for evading stricter Mediterranean patrols, has become a graveyard. Over 800 miles of open ocean expose frail vessels to storms, dehydration, and human depravity. Smugglers charge thousands per head, packing boats beyond capacity, then abandon them to fate. Survivors, if they make it, strain Spain's resources, migrant centres overflow, and integration challenges mount.
Europe's open-door policies, decried by sceptics, invite such chaos. The Canary Islands, a frontline outpost, saw arrivals surge 202% in 2024. Yet, amid the humanitarian crisis, stories like this fuel backlash: Diversity, they argue, shouldn't mean importing violence or medieval superstitions. The arrested 19, far from refugees, are accused criminals who turned a vessel of hope into a vessel of death. As one X post quipped, "The joys of diversity: Witchcraft and overboard executions — welcome to Europe."
Spain's response, swift arrests and investigations, is commendable, but it begs the question: How many more boats must sink, how many more "witches" must drown, before borders tighten?
The Atlantic boat horror is a stark warning: Illegal migration isn't a romantic odyssey; it's a gauntlet of suffering, superstition, and slaughter. As Spanish police probe this "massacre on the high seas," we're reminded that cultural clashes don't vanish at the horizon, they wash ashore. The 50 lost souls deserve justice, but so does Europe, weary of bearing the brunt of unchecked migrant flows.
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