Nearly 1,600 migrants arrive on Spain's Canary Islands in one day

In a single day, nearly 1,600 migrants landed on the Canary Islands in Spain, according to Spanish news agency EFE. Most of the migrants, numbering around 1,580, arrived on Saturday and made their way to the island of El Hierro via 15 wooden fishing boats. The majority of these migrants originated from West African countries like Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea.

Between Friday and Saturday, the total number of migrants reaching the Canary Islands exceeded 2,300, as reported by Spanish authorities. The Canary Islands, located just around 100 kilometers from Africa, are grappling with a migration crisis. The Spanish Territorial Policy Minister, Angel Victor Torres Perez, visited La Restinga, a town on the southern tip of El Hierro, on Sunday.

During his visit, he expressed gratitude to the island's residents for their solidarity and dedication, as they face a significant influx of migrants.

The Spanish government remains committed to managing this migration surge with compassion and consideration for the well-being of the island's residents, as stated by Torres Perez on social media platform X. El Hierro, with a population of nearly 12,000, experienced the largest number of arrivals, despite the Canary Islands as a whole witnessing a 5.5% decrease in migration from January to October 31 compared to the same period the previous year.

This recent surge in arrivals on the Canary Islands follows a similar crisis in another Spanish territory, Ceuta, in late July.

In late July, it was estimated that around 80,000 individuals, primarily young Moroccan men, crossed into Ceuta from neighboring Morocco. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who belongs to the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), has faced criticism from the opposition regarding his management of the migration crisis. Migration and housing are expected to be key issues for voters as Spain prepares for snap elections later in the month.