The future of over 1,400 African migrants in Spain’s Canary Islands

More than 1,400 migrants had reached Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwestern Africa, between Friday and Sunday. One migrant boat alone carried 321 people. Most migrants arrived from sub-Saharan Africa.

Spain’s TVE television showed an overcrowded wooden boat. Migrants were seen smiling as they reached port at the island. 

What can migrants expect? What is the future of over 1,400 African migrants in Spain’s Canary Islands? How many migrants arrived in Spain’s Canary Islands? What did the authorities say?

How many migrants arrived in Spain’s Canary Islands?

A total of 1,457 migrants arrived in Spain’s Canary Islands between Friday and Sunday. On Saturday, 321 people reached the island of El Hierro via a vessel. The International Red Cross said that women and children were among the migrant arrivals. 

According to Spain’s interior ministry, around 23,537 migrants reached the Canary Islands between January 1 and October 15. Earlier this month, 8,561 migrants arrived in the Canary Islands. 

During the weekend, 783 migrants landed on El Hierro, 150 migrants landed on Gran Canaria, and 98 migrants landed on Tenerife. Nearly 4,000 migrants per week have reached the Canary Islands since the start of October.

Future of African migrants in Spain’s Canary Islands

Spain’s government is set to spend €50 million on measures to help the Canary Islands manage the entry of migrants by boat. José Luis Escrivá, the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration of Spain, has said that the aid package will help the Canary Islands amid an “extraordinary migration flow.”

The Spanish government has been sending material resources to the region in order to help migrants. The aid package will help unaccompanied migrant children and teenagers who are under the care of local health authorities.

What can migrants expect?

Fernando Clavijo, a Spanish politician and incumbent President of the Canary Islands, has said that the aid package will help around 3,800 unaccompanied migrant children in the Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwestern Africa. 

The Canary Islands government head of Child Protection, Sandra Rodríguez, has also pledged to help migrant children. 

In August, stranded migrants in a Spanish patrol boat returned to Senegal. Around 168 migrants were stranded for more than four days in a Spanish patrol boat off the coast of Mauritania. They were rescued on the way to the Canary Islands.