Contents
The Spanish archipelago is hardly equipped for the many arrivals. And so far there has been no help from Madrid.
What is it about? More than 500 refugees and migrants from West Africa arrived on boats on the westernmost Canary Island of El Hierro on Friday, October 6th alone. Since the beginning of October there have been almost 2,000. 11,000 people live on El Hierro – which makes it difficult to accommodate and look after refugees on the small island and the other Canary Islands. Some Spanish media are already talking about the “Spanish Lampedusa”.
Legend:
The migrants travel the approximately 1,500 kilometers from Senegal to the Canary Islands on such boats. A dangerous undertaking given the sometimes strong winds and strong currents in the Atlantic.
Keystone/Gelmert Finol
What is the situation currently? It’s not just El Hierro that is affected by the arrivals of migrants from West Africa; boats also keep arriving on Tenerife. In addition: “Many refugees have already been brought from El Hierro to the larger Tenerife, which could no longer accommodate everyone,” says local journalist Johannes Bornewasser, who lives on Tenerife (Tenerife News). And so recently around 200 people had to spend the night at the harbor because there was no accommodation for them.
Why so many arrivals? The Atlantic is currently very calm, which is probably one of the reasons why so many people are making the approximately 1,500 kilometer journey from Senegal to the Canary Islands – “even if it is life-threatening,” says the journalist. According to the UN migration organization IOM, a good 7,000 people from West Africa arrived in the Canary Islands in the first half of 2023. Hundreds are believed to have drowned during the very dangerous crossing.
What does the local government say? The Canarian Prime Minister Fernando Clavijo accused the left-wing central government in Madrid of inaction. “We are stunned and perplexed by the silence of a Spanish government that appears to be completely indifferent to the events surrounding migration and the pressure that all Canary Islands are exposed to,” said the conservative politician.
In the Canary Islands you feel seduced by Madrid and completely forgotten.
What role does Madrid play? About a month ago, the Spanish government promised to help the Canary Islands in the difficult situation. But now calls to Spanish ministries in Madrid are apparently no longer being answered when a Canary Islands number appears on the phone, as Bornewasser describes the situation. “In the Canary Islands you feel seduced by Madrid and completely forgotten.”
Why is the Spanish government doing nothing? “If you leave the arrivals from Africa in the Canary Islands, then you don’t have to accommodate them somewhere on the Spanish mainland,” says Bornewasser. The Canary Islands are far away from Madrid – and therefore also the problem of the many migrants for the Spanish government. That’s why people living in the Canary Islands fear that many of the migrants will stay on the islands. Given the major economic problems in many Canary Islands, this leads to problems such as hatred or racism, says journalist Bornewasser.