More than 1,600 migrants have arrived on the Canary Islands by boat in the past few days. The islands in the Atlantic have become a main destination for refugees from Senegal.

Hundreds of migrants reach the Canary Islands

More than 1,600 migrants have arrived on the Canary Islands by boat in the past few days. The islands in the Atlantic have become a main destination for refugees from Senegal. Spain is concerned about the increase in irregular migration.

More and more refugee boats are arriving on the Canary Islands. Since last Friday alone, over 1,600 migrants have arrived on the Spanish islands in the Atlantic. Most of the boats in the past few days have arrived on El Hierro. A boat with 229 migrants was accompanied to the island on Monday, and a ship with 85 people on board was brought to Tenerife. This was announced by the rescue service. On Saturday, a wooden boat with 321 people already reached the island of El Hierro. The Spanish news agency Efe reported that this was the highest number of occupants of a boat arriving in the Canary Islands since the 1990s.

According to a spokesperson for the rescue service, the refugees came from countries south of the Saharan region. The boats mostly started in Senegal.

Dangerous migration route leads to the Canary Islands

The seven islands in the Atlantic have now become the main destination for migrants from Senegal and other African countries trying to reach Spain: According to the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, nearly 23,500 migrants arrived on the Canary Islands by boat between January 1 and October 15 this year. This was an 80 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska attributed the “resurgence” in migrant numbers to “destabilization in the Sahel region” during a visit to the archipelago last week. As a result of increased controls in the Mediterranean, the migration route through the Canary Islands has gained importance in recent years, despite being long and dangerous.

Other refugees attempt to reach mainland Spain via the Mediterranean. Milder weather and calmer seas in September, October, and sometimes even November typically lead to an increase in the number of incoming migrants. According to the EU Border Agency Frontex, political instability in Senegal was also a “push factor” that led people to leave the country via the West African route.

Spain calls for EU assistance

Spain has expressed concern about the increase in irregular migration this year. The eurozone country has already stated that it cannot handle the situation without the help of the EU. The Atlantic migration route to the Canary Islands, typically used by African migrants from countries south of the Sahara, is globally recognized as one with the highest number of fatalities.