A baby girl was born on a crowded migrant ship en route to the Canary Islands in Spain.

• A dinghy carrying migrants was overcrowded when a baby girl was born on her way to Lanzarote island in the Canary Islands.
• The baby and her mother are in good condition, according to medical and government authorities. They will be taken to a humanitarian center for migrants before being relocated to a reception center for mothers and children on another island, a spokesperson for the Spanish government in the Canaries stated.
• In 2024, 9,757 individuals lost their lives on the Atlantic Route from West Africa to the Canary Islands, with women being particularly vulnerable to the dangers of the journey.

On Thursday, medical and regional government authorities stated that a baby girl born on a migrant dinghy bound for Lanzarote island in the Canaries was receiving treatment in hospital, along with her mother, and both were in good condition.

Dr. Maria Sabalich, emergency coordinator of the Molina Orosa University Hospital in Lanzarote, informed Reuters that the pair were being treated with antibiotics and monitored by a pediatric team.

""The mother and child are doing well in the hospital," she said."

A boat carrying a pregnant mother left from Tan-Tan, a Moroccan province 135 nautical miles southeast of Lanzarote, according to the Spanish coast guard.

The mother and infant will be welcomed at a humanitarian center for migrants after leaving the hospital, before being relocated to a reception center for mothers and young children on another island, Cristina Ruiz, a spokesperson for the Spanish government in Las Palmas, stated to Reuters.

Each year, thousands of migrants from western Africa embark on a dangerous journey to the Canaries, with the latest arrivals adding to the already significant number of migrants making the treacherous sea voyage.

The rescue operation was successful due to good weather, according to Domingo Trujillo, captain of the Spanish coast guard ship that saved 60 migrants, including 14 women and four children, as reported by Spanish wire service EFE.

"The baby was crying, indicating that it was alive and there were no problems. We asked the woman's permission to undress her and clean her. However, the umbilical cord had already been cut by one of her fellow passengers. The only thing we did was to check the child, give her to her mother, and wrap them up for the trip."

Two more boats carrying 144 people were rescued by the Canary Islands' rescue services overnight.

In 2024, 9,757 individuals lost their lives on the Atlantic Route to the Canary Islands from West Africa, with the most common route being from Morocco and Western Sahara. Women are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence, discrimination, racism, and deportations during their journey.

Trujillo said the crews were exhausted but proud of their work.

"We often depart at dawn and return late at night, but this situation is positive because it involved a newborn. Despite the exhaustion, we are always helping people in need."