ARCHIVED - Two boats carrying 22 illegal immigrants intecepted off the shores of Javea and Alfaz del Pi

Four pateras reached Alicante province on the Costa Blanca in less than 48 hours.

Arrivals of irregular immigrants continues on the Alicante province with a total of 45 reaching the coastline since Monday, June 28, according to Cruz Roja (Red Cross).

At around midday on Tuesday, a patera with 13 people on board made it to Portitxol cove on the coast of Javea in the Marina Alta, Alicante province, before being detained by the Guardia Civil.

The authorities were alerted to the presence of the boat by a witness half an hour before its occupants reached land, all of them apparently of Algerian origin.

A couple of hours later, a second boat carrying nine irregular immigrants was intercepted off the coast of Alfaz del Pi in the Marina Baixa, and all 22 were taken to Alicante Port where they were assisted by the Red Cross.

On Monday, 23 occupants of two pateras were detained by police at a cove in Calpe in the Marina Alta, and they too were taken to Alicante Port.

It's not clear whether all the 45 arrivals were adults, or whether there were children onboard the boats, but they are believed to be Algerian. All have been PCR tested and any who yield a positive result for Covid will be placed into quarantine.

IMAGE: Archive