World

Over 1000 migrants reach Spain's Canary Islands

By AAP Newswire

Oct 22, 2023

Part of a group of migrants disembarks at a port in Tenerife — Part of a group of migrants disembark at the Los Cristianos port in Tenerife, Canary Islands. -EPA

Over 1000 migrants arrived in Spain's Canary Islands in a single day on Saturday after making the dangerous journey from Africa, including on a boat carrying 320 people that rescuers say is the most packed vessel they have ever seen.

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The Red Cross, which was helping to treat the migrants, said a wooden boat that arrived on the island of El Hierro marked a record number of arrivals in a single boat. The previous record was a boat carrying 271 people that arrived in El Hierro on October 3.

Saturday's arrivals included 783 in El Hierro, 98 in Tenerife and 150 in Gran Canaria, the Red Cross said. The boats' passengers included women and small children.

In Gran Canaria, the coast guard towed a wooden boat carrying migrants, including a toddler, into the port of Arguineguin. Wooden boats from previous arrivals were docked in the port.

The seven islands of the Atlantic archipelago have become the main destination for migrants trying to reach Spain, and this year there has been an increase in attempted crossings from Senegal and other African countries.

Between January 1 and October 15 this year, the islands received 23,537 migrants, an 80 per cent increase from the same period last year according to official data.

At least 1000 people have died attempting the crossing so far this year, according to the Walking Borders charity.

Spain's acting migration minister pledged an aid package worth 50 million euros ($A84 million) on October 19 to help the Canary Islands cope with an "extraordinary migration flow".

By AAP Newswire

Australian Associated Press