Spain migrant crisis escalates as over 1,000 migrants reach Canary Islands

• More than 1,000 migrants from sub-Saharan countries arrived in Spain’s Canary Islands in 18 boats over the past three days.
• The surge in migrant arrivals in the archipelago off northwest Africa has been notable in recent weeks, with 7,270 migrants arriving in January alone.
• Spain’s interior ministry reported a record 55,618 migrant arrivals by boat in 2023, nearly double the previous year’s figure.

More than 1,000 migrants from sub-Saharan countries arrived in Spain’s Canary Islands in 18 boats over the past three days, Spain’s marine rescue service said Monday. A body was found in one of the boats.

The archipelago off northwest Africa has seen a surge in migrant arrivals in recent weeks as more people from West Africa attempt the dangerous journey. Officials say 7,270 migrants arrived in January, about as many as in the first six months of 2023.

Most of the boats depart from Mauritania. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit the West African country on Thursday to encourage authorities to try to curtail the departures.

SPAIN’S CANARY ISLANDS SEE RECORD NUMBERS OF AFRICAN MIGRANTS SEEKING BETTER LIVES

Spain and the European Union have cooperation agreements with both Mauritania and neighboring Senegal to try to reduce the number of migrants arriving on the islands. But some young people insist on taking their chances and say there are few opportunities and sometimes political turmoil at home.

Migrants arrive on a small boat at La Restinga port on the canary island of El Hierro on Feb. 4, 2024. Spain’s marine rescue service says nearly 1,000 migrants from sub-Saharan countries arrived in Spain’s Canary Islands in 18 boats in the past three days. (Europa Press via AP)

Spain’s interior ministry says a record 55,618 migrants arrived by boat — most of them in the Canary Islands — last year, almost double the number of the previous year.

THOUSANDS OF MIGRANTS DIED TRYING TO REACH SPAIN BY BOAT IN 2023, OFFICIALS SAY

The Spanish non-profit organization Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders) says more than 6,600 migrants died while trying to reach Spain by boat last year, most of them on the Atlantic route. The figure is more than double the number reported by the organization for 2022.

Caminando Fronteras says it compiles its own figures from families of migrants and rescue statistics.