MADRID: Spanish police have dismantled a criminal network that trafficked migrant minors from the Canary Islands to France, arresting 11 people, authorities said Thursday.
The investigation began after 14 minors went missing from youth care centers on the islands of Lanzarote and Gran Canaria, Spain’s National Police said in a statement.
In May 2025, officers stopped a Mauritanian man at Lanzarote airport as he attempted to board a flight to Madrid with what appeared to be three minors.
Police arrested the man and one of the alleged minors, who was actually of legal age, after discovering the minors were under the ward of a youth care center on the island.
An investigation then uncovered a “well-organized network” with logistics in Morocco, contacts in the Ivory Coast for falsified documents, and facilities in Spain to temporarily house minors before they were taken to France.
Two homes in Lanzarote were searched, and authorities seized documents, electronic devices and cash.
Nine suspects were arrested in total in Lanzarote, and one each in Madrid and Gran Canaria.
They face charges including document forgery, child abduction, involvement in a criminal organization and child pornography.
Police are still searching for the missing minors.
They face charges including document forgery, child abduction, involvement in a criminal organization and child pornography.
Spain is one of three main entry points for irregular migrants into Europe, alongside Italy and Greece.
The Canary Islands, off northwest Africa, are a key gateway, with nearly 47,000 migrants arriving last year — a record for the second consecutive year — though arrivals are down this year.
Spain police smash ring smuggling migrant minors to France
https://arab.news/zctkr
Spain police smash ring smuggling migrant minors to France
- The investigation began after 14 minors went missing from youth care centers
- An investigation then uncovered a “well-organized network” with logistics in Morocco
94 million need cataract surgery, but access lacking: WHO
- Of the 94 million affected, fewer than 20 percent are blind, while the rest suffer from impaired vision
GENEVA: More than 94 million people suffer from cataracts, but half of them do not have access to the surgery needed to fix it, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.
Cataracts — the clouding of the eye’s lens that causes blurred vision and can lead to blindness — are on the rise as populations get older, with age being the main risk factor.
“Cataract surgery — a simple, 15-minute procedure — is one of the most cost-effective medical procedures, providing immediate and lasting restoration of sight,” the WHO said.
It is one of the most frequently performed surgeries undertaken in high-income countries.
However, “half of the world’s population in need of cataract surgery don’t have access to it,” said Stuart Keel, the UN health agency’s technical lead for eye care.
The situation is worst in the WHO’s Africa region, where three in four people needing cataract surgery remain untreated.
In Kenya, at the current rate, 77 percent of people needing cataract surgery are likely to die with their cataract blindness or vision impairment, said Keel.
Across all regions, women consistently experience lower access to care than men.
Of the 94 million affected, fewer than 20 percent are blind, while the rest suffer from impaired vision.
- 2030 vision -
The WHO said that over the past two decades, global cataract surgery coverage had increased by 15 percent.
In 2021, WHO member states set a target of a 30-percent increase by 2030.
However, current modelling predicts that cataract surgery coverage will rise by only about 8.4 percent this decade.
To close the gap, the WHO urged countries to integrate eye examinations into primary health care and invest in the required surgical equipment.
States should also expand the eye-care workforce, training surgeons in a standardised manner and then distributing them throughout the country, notably outside major cities.
The WHO was on Wednesday launching new guidance for countries on how to provide quality cataract surgery services.
It will also issue guidance to help support workforce development.
Keel said the main issue was capacity and financing.
“We do need money invested to get rid of this backlog, which is nearly 100 million people,” he told a press conference.
While age is the primary risk factor for cataracts, others include prolonged UV-B light exposure, tobacco use, prolonged corticosteroid use and diabetes.
Keel urged people to keep up regular eye checks as they get older, with most problems able to be either prevented or diagnosed and treated.
The cost of the new lens that goes inside the eye can be under $100.
However, out-of-pocket costs can be higher when not covered by health insurance.
“Cataract surgery is one of the most powerful tools we have to restore vision and transform lives,” said Devora Kestel, head of the WHO’s noncommunicable diseases and mental health department.
“When people regain their sight, they regain independence, dignity, and opportunity.”
