Spain’s Canary Islands on course for record migrant arrivals

A total of 30,705 undocumented migrants have reached the Canary Islands in the Atlantic in the first 10 months of this year, nearing a full-year record of 2006, data from Spain’s Interior Ministry showed on Thursday.

The number of people risking the perilous crossing from Africa represented an 111 percent increase from the same period of last year and accounted for the bulk of the total of 43,290 arrivals to Spain by sea, which was about 66 percent higher, the data showed.

The archipelago, which lies around 100 km (60 miles) off Africa’s west coast, had its previous peak in 2006, when 31,678 migrants arrived as other routes to Europe were blocked off.

Arrivals have spiked as milder weather and calmer seas since September usually make attempts of crossing more feasible. A third of all arrivals in the Canaries came to El Hierro, the westernmost and tiniest island.

The archipelago’s seven islands have become the main destination for migrants from Senegal and other African countries trying to reach Spain, fleeing conflict or in search of better economic conditions.

More than half of migrants who have reached the archipelago came from Senegal, official data showed.

The United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) counted 313 people who died or went missing so far in 2023 trying to reach the Canary Islands.

Last week, the Spanish government said it would create additional emergency accommodation for some 3,000 migrants in military barracks, hotels and hostels to ease the pressure on the archipelago after local authorities said they felt abandoned by the central government.