Nearly 2,200 migrants arrived in the Canary Islands over the past two days. Saturday saw almost 1,500 arrivals, the highest number in a single day since 2020.
Of those arrivals on Saturday, 12 cayucos carrying 1,235 people reached El Hierro, with two additional boats reaching Gran Canaria and Tenerife. The majority of the migrants came from Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea.
The Canary Islands serve as a major entry point for migrants making a dangerous Atlantic crossing from West Africa. This route is one of the world's deadliest, with travelers using makeshift boats, ill-equipped dinghies, and overcrowded vessels.
President Clavijo stated that the islands are overwhelmed. This surge in arrivals follows a recent migration crisis in Ceuta, while new EU migration and asylum laws have largely failed to stem the flow of migrants to Spain and its territories.