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Nearly 1,500 migrants arrive in Canary Islands in one day
Reuters • • world
Key Points:
- Nearly 1,500 migrants arrived in Spain's Canary Islands on Saturday, marking the highest single-day total since 2020, with 1,488 people rescued from 14 boats by the Spanish coastguard.
- This surge continues an increase in arrivals from West African countries since October, putting additional strain on reception and emergency services, especially on smaller islands like El Hierro.
- One boat carried 240 migrants, including 12 women and 36 children, mostly from Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea Conakry; most rescued migrants were taken to El Hierro.
- Spain's Territorial Policy Minister Angel Victor Torres plans to visit El Hierro to address the recent rise in migrant arrivals.
- Although arrivals between January and October were down 5.5% compared to last year, the Atlantic route from West Africa to the Canary Islands remains one of the deadliest migration crossings, with numbers increasing in autumn due to calmer sea conditions.
