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On Monday, August 26, emergency responders rescued 136 African migrants bound for Europe from a boat near the Canary Island of El Hierro.
El Hierro, the smallest and southernmost of the Canary Islands, is situated in the Atlantic Ocean off Africa’s coast.
The migrants were brought to La Restinga port in Spain by a vessel from the Spanish sea search and rescue agency.
Meanwhile, Spain’s Prime Minister is set to begin a three-day visit to West Africa on Tuesday, August 27, amid a significant increase in migrant arrivals to Spain.
Almost daily, Spain’s coastguard rescues boats filled with African migrants heading toward the Canary Islands, located off the northwest coast of Africa. The local government of the Canary Islands has been calling for increased support.
During his trip, the Prime Minister will visit Mauritania, The Gambia, and Senegal, three crucial nations involved in the migration crisis.
It remains unclear what measures he might propose, especially to Mauritania, the primary departure point, which he last visited six months ago, to persuade local authorities to intensify their efforts to curb migrant departures.
Madrid estimates there are some 200,000 people in Mauritania waiting to go to the Canaries.
The regional leader of the islands who met the Prime Minister on Friday, August 23, urged the European Union to do more so that the Canary Islands do not have to shoulder all of Europe’s migratory pressure on its own.
“In the end, it’s a pressure for Europe because they are arriving in Europe, in Spain, and not just on the Canary Islands,” he said.
It was said that the Canary Islands and Spain often serve as a transit point for West African migrants heading to France and other European destinations.
From January one to August 15 2024, 22,304 migrants arrived in the Canary Islands, a significant rise from 9,864 during the same period in 2023, an increase of 126 percent.
Overall, Spain saw 31,155 migrant arrivals by mid-August, up 66.2 percent from 18,745 in 2023. The numbers are expected to rise further as autumn brings more favorable weather conditions for crossing the Atlantic.
Last year saw a record 39,910 migrant arrivals, and current trends indicate that 2024 is likely to set a new record, solidifying the Atlantic route to the Canaries as the primary migration path despite its dangers.
The Atlantic route is notoriously dangerous due to strong currents, with thousands of deaths and disappearances occurring each year on overcrowded and often unseaworthy vessels.
However, Spain’s increase in arrivals is not limited to the Canary Islands, the small enclave of Ceuta has also seen a significant surge in newcomers in recent weeks.
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