Spain's Canary Islands, off the northwest coast of Africa, have seen a sharp and steady increase in arrivals of boats carrying irregular migrants since the beginning of October last year.
Three people were found dead in a boat set adrift in the Canary Islands off the coast of Spain, news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported on Saturday (December 30).
Spanish rescue officials also reportedly rescued 15 more people who were suffering from hunger and hypothermia. According to AFP, the survivors were transported by helicopter to the Spanish island of El Hierro, the smallest of the seven main Canary Islands. The boat carrying the passengers was found some 314 kilometers south of El Hierro.
The Canary Islands, which form part of the Spanish islands off the northwest coast of Africa, have seen record arrivals of people mostly coming from sub-Saharan Africa. Boats reportedly depart from Morocco and Western Sahara, as well as Mauritania, Gambia, and Senegal.
Record high arrivals
Days before, another 14 people reportedly died off the coast of Morocco when their dinghy ran into trouble as they were attempting to reach the Canary Islands, news agency dpa reported on December 29.
Some 58 people were on the dinghy at the time of the incident, according to Caminando Fronteras, a Spanish NGO that helps migrant boats in distress and the families of those who have gone missing.
The Canary Islands have seen a sharp increase in arrivals of boats carrying irregular migrants since the beginning of October.
Spain's Interior Ministry registered an 80% year-on-year increase in the number of Canary Islands arrivals between January 1 and October 15.
Data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) show that there were more than 54,187 sea arrivals in Spain in 2023.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations agency on migration which uses a different methodology, an estimated 3,546 migrants have died or have gone missing attempting to cross the Mediterranean to enter Europe in 2023 alone. The actual figure is likely to be much higher, the IOM says.
Also read: Canary Islands: Tragic deaths at sea reported as Spain confirms record high migration
Overwhelmed and in need of support
El Hierro, the westernmost and smallest of the Canary Islands, has a population of 11,000 and is the furthest island from Africa. Authorities said that the tiny island is unprepared when it comes to facilities and resources to cope with the number of arrivals.
In October, more than 1,200 people reportedly arrived in El Hierro in just over six days.
The Canary Islands regional government has demanded more resources from Spain’s central government to improve its reception capacity and to speed up the redistribution of arrivals to other facilities on the Spanish mainland.
In October, the Spanish government announced that it was preparing a €50 million aid package for the Canary Islands which is experiencing what government minister José Luis Escrivá, called an "extraordinary migration flow."
Migratory passage and detour
At its closest point, Spain's Canary Islands are about 100 kilometers away from the northwestern coast of Africa. The country's geographical location places it at the external borders of Europe with the Canaries being a common entry for migrants trying to reach the European Union by sea.
To skirt sea patrols in the waters of Senegal and Mauritania, smugglers are sending migrant boats into the open Atlantic before continuing north to the Canaries. This detour brings many boats to El Hierro island.
The Spanish government in the capital Madrid has bolstered its cooperation with Senegal and Mauritania to try to stop boats from leaving for the Canaries.
Last October, Spain sent drones and security personnel to Senegal to curb departures from the western African country.
Irregular crossings into Spain
A multi-organization study led by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) showed that since 2020, around 40,000 people from West and North Africa have irregularly entered Spain at the Canary Islands, reported InfoMigrants.
The Atlantic Ocean crossing, also called the Northwest African route, refers to the maritime pathways between countries and territories including Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, the disputed territories of Western Sahara, and Spain's Canary Islands.
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