Nearly 1,000 migrants rescued from seven boats off El Hierro in Spain

Spain's Maritime Rescue Service, Salvamento Marítimo, rescued 854 migrants from seven small fishing boats off the Canary Island of El Hierro since early Friday morning. The boats were taken to La Restinga harbor, where the migrants received medical attention. Of the rescued, 350 were transported to Tenerife on the morning ferry, with another 350 planned for the afternoon's crossing to alleviate pressure on El Hierro's reception facilities.

Several rescued migrants required hospital treatment, with nine still at Nuestra Señora de los Reyes Hospital suffering from various health issues. The rescue mission involved three Salvamento Marítimo vessels: Salvamar Navia, Diphda, and Mizar. The first intervention occurred four miles from La Restinga, where 134 people were rescued around 1:00 am. The remaining boats were rescued at intervals throughout the morning, with the largest boat carrying 235 people arriving at 8:30 am.

The migrants rescued were of sub-Saharan African origin, mostly men, though some women and minors were also among them. Their countries of origin have not yet been determined. Assistance during the rescue operation came from the Red Cross Immediate Emergency Response Team, the Canary Islands Emergency Service, port security personnel, the Civil Guard, and the National Police.

Migrants were then transferred to the Temporary Foreign Nationals Reception Centre in San Andrés, where they will receive further support from the NGO Corazón Naranja-Ebrima Sonko and remain in police custody pending transfer to other facilities.