Hundreds in a wooden boat
Over 1000 migrants reach the Canary Islands in one day
October 22, 2023, 2:57 a.m
Because of the milder weather, as is often the case at this time of year, more people are setting off on one of the world’s deadliest migration routes: from Africa to the Canary Islands. Hundreds arrive on the island of Hierro in a wooden boat and set a new record.
More and more refugee boats are arriving on the Canary Islands. Over 1,000 migrants reached the Canary Islands, which belong to Spain, in a single day on Saturday. On the island of Hierro alone, 783 people arrived on a wooden boat, as the Red Cross announced at the weekend. This represents a new record for the number of arrivals in a boat. The previous record was a boat with 271 people on board that docked in El Hierro on October 3rd.
98 new refugees were counted on Saturday on Tenerife and 150 on Gran Canaria. Between January 1 and October 15 this year, the Canary Islands received 23,537 migrants, an increase of 80 percent compared to the same period last year.
Unstable situation in Senegal
The seven Atlantic islands have become the main destination for migrants from Senegal and other African countries trying to reach Spain. Other refugees are trying to reach mainland Spain via the Mediterranean. Milder weather and calmer seas in September, October and sometimes November usually lead to an increase in migrant arrivals.
According to the EU border agency Frontex, political instability in Senegal was also a “push factor” driving people to leave the country via the West African route. Spain has expressed concern about the increase in irregular migration this year. The Euroland has already stated that it cannot cope with the situation without the EU’s help.
The Atlantic migration route to the Canary Islands, typically used by sub-Saharan African migrants, is one of the deadliest in the world.