According to official figures cited by the Spanish news agency EFE, 5,857 people had reached the Canary Islands in 57 boats between November 1 and 5pm on Monday. Counting from October 1, when daily rescues resumed after months of relative calm, 12,056 people had arrived in six weeks -- more than three times the 3,708 arrivals recorded during the first half of the year.

The increase has been concentrated in El Hierro, an island of roughly 11,400 to 12,000 residents. Regional authorities reported that 4,587 people arrived in the Canary Islands between November 1 and 6 in 49 boats, 35 of which reached El Hierro. On November 10 , Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo said that around 7,500 people had arrived on the island in the first 10 days of this month.

In October alone, UNHCR recorded 6,200 arrivals in the Canary Islands on 65 boats, a 417 percent increase compared with the same month in 2025 and the highest monthly figure since 2024.

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El Hierro under strain

El Hierro’s limited infrastructure has made the situation particularly acute. The island has about 30 hospital beds and local officials say capacity to refer people to Tenerife has been exhausted. The Cabildo de El Hierro declared a social emergency on 6 November and estimated that more than 2,000 people remained on the island.

The effects are also being felt in the local economy. La Restinga, a fishing village of 673 residents, depends on fishing, diving and tourism. Local representatives say the number of small boats has made it difficult for fishing vessels to leave and return to port. The diving sector has reportedly contracted from 11 centers to four, with consequences for hospitality and other businesses.

Clavijo described the situation as “absolutely unsustainable,” saying that local services were under severe pressure and that medical teams and buses had already been redeployed from other islands.

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Madrid’s response to increased arrivals

Spain’s Interministerial Commission on Immigration declared a migration emergency in the Canary Islands on November 10. The government committed 15.18 million euros to create additional places in state-run reception centers and to fund transfers between the islands and to mainland Spain. A further 1 million euros was allocated to the Red Cross for initial assistance and medical care in El Hierro.

Madrid also said it would reinforce rescue capacity by deploying the Guardamar Caliope, meaning that three of Spain’s five operational Guardamar vessels would be assigned to the Canary Islands. The government said it would increase medical and police personnel, accelerate administrative procedures, and transfer unaccompanied minors to other parts of Spain.

Clavijo welcomed the measures but said they had come too late. He is seeking a contingency plan with additional security personnel, greater Maritime Rescue capacity, Red Cross healthcare at La Restinga and the Temporary Reception Center for Foreigners (CATE) in San Andres and compensation for El Hierro residents and businesses.

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Brussels’ response to the growing crisis

The European Commission says it is closely monitoring the situation and remains in technical contact with the Spanish government. A Commission spokesperson told EFE that the Canary Islands had received about 90 million euros of the 144 million euros in emergency assistance allocated to Spain for the 2021 to 2027 period.

The Commission also said Spain may access the EU Solidarity Fund as a country under migratory pressure. That mechanism can provide relocation places, financial and operational support or a combination of both from member states facing less pressure.

Frontex has 250 officers deployed in Spain, including in the Canary Islands, according to the Commission. The agency says it is providing support on the ground, although Clavijo has called for a larger and more rescue-oriented deployment in Canary waters.

The EU’s Pact on Migration and Asylum, which entered into force in June, includes a permanent solidarity mechanism. Member states can contribute through relocation, financial support, operational assistance or a combination of these measures. Whether the mechanism can be activated quickly enough to provide practical relief to El Hierro remains uncertain.

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Diplomacy and regional cooperation

Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Spain would ask the European Commission for greater involvement and a joint response from the 27 member states. He stressed that the Canary Islands are “also an external border” of the European Union.

Albares was due to meet European Commissioners Dubravka Suica and Josef Sikela in Brussels to discuss the situation and cooperation with countries of origin and transit, particularly Senegal and the Gambia. He said Spain had been in contact with the foreign ministers of both countries in recent days.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska traveled to Dakar, where he called for stronger migration management and announced a 500,000 euro contribution to the Senegalese Navy.

Clavijo has linked the recent increase in departures to political circumstances in countries of origin and transit, including the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, which he said reduced Senegalese coastal surveillance capacity and electoral campaigning in Gambia.

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Deaths at sea

UNHCR expressed concern about recent shipwrecks on the Atlantic route. At least 39 people died after a boat sank off the coast of Senegal on November 6, while seven people died on another vessel traveling toward Lanzarote on November 2.

UNHCR spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh described the Atlantic route as one of the world’s most dangerous and called for collective action to prevent further loss of life. He said many people using the route come from countries affected by conflict, violence and instability including Mali, Burkina Faso, Sudan and Somalia.

UNHCR said it is supporting Spanish authorities in implementing the EU migration and asylum pact, while monitoring access to territory and international protection.

The immediate focus is on whether Madrid can provide enough rescue capacity, healthcare, reception space and transfers to relieve pressure on El Hierro. In the long term, it remains to be seen how Spain and the EU will coordinate border management, protection and development cooperation.

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With EFE