Over 300 migrants aboard unseaworthy vessels landed on the Spanish Canary and Balearic Islands within just 24 hours between Sunday and Monday, August 18-19, according to authorities.

The most significant arrivals involved 198 migrants on two cayucos (dugout canoes) intercepted on Sunday by rescue boats off the island of El Hierro in the Canary Islands. These migrants were taken to the port of La Restinga by the Spanish maritime rescue service.

The passengers, mainly of sub-Saharan origin, were assisted by Red Cross volunteers. They were generally in good health, except for five people, including a heavily pregnant woman, who were taken to the hospital. According to witnesses, one of the two cayucos, carrying 175 people from Gambia, Cameroon, and Senegal, had departed from the port of Dakar, Senegal, six days before their arrival.

An additional 92 people, mainly from the Maghreb, reached the Balearic Islands on Monday on five boats, including two that landed on Mallorca, two on Formentera and one on Ibiza, the maritime rescue service said.

A total of 31,155 migrants have reached Spain irregularly since the start of the year, an additional 12,410 people compared to the same period in 2023, up 66 percent, according to figures released by the Spanish interior ministry. They included 2,124 people who reached the Canary and Balearic islands.

Also read: Spain: Canaries renew call for broader distribution of unaccompanied minors

Premier Sanchez in Mauritania, Gambia and Senegal

Spanish Premier Pedro Sanchez has announced that he will be traveling on August 27-29 to Mauritania, Gambia and Senegal, the countries of origin of the bulk of migration flows towards the Canary Islands.

According to a statement released by the prime minister's office, the prime minister will resume his agenda of work after the summer holiday and is set to return to Mauritania approximately seven months after the visit to Nouakchott together with European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen to strengthen cooperation with the African country and seek to halt arrivals by sea of irregular migrants along the route that leads to the Canary Islands.

During that occasion, Sanchez announced investments worth over 300 million euros provided by Spain to Mauritania over the next years, including 200 million to promote investments by Spanish companies in the country, 60 million for development projects and 50 million euros in financial cooperation.

Sanchez will officially visit for the first time the Gambia and will subsequently return to Senegal, where a meeting has been scheduled with President Bassirou Diomaye Fay who was elected last April.

During the institutional visit to the two countries in June, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares confirmed that the Spanish government was earmarking 180 million euros for cooperation and development over the next four years, in particular to promote youth employment.

Also read: Migration trends: Decline in boat migration to Italy and rise in Canary Islands arrivals