Spanish authorities recorded 1488 migrants arriving at the Canary Islands in 14 boats on November 14, marking the highest single-day total since 2020, as the Spanish maritime rescue service reported.
Saturday’s arrivals surpassed the previous single-day record of 1461 people rescued off the archipelago on November 7, 2020, according to Asharq Al-Awsat. Twelve boats landed on El Hierro, with one arriving on Gran Canaria and another on Tenerife.
One vessel carried 240 people, including 12 women and 36 children. All passengers from Saturday’s operations were taken to El Hierro. Most of the individuals arriving on the boats came from Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea-Conakry.
The surge follows an earlier wave between November 1 and November 6, when 49 vessels carrying more than 4500 people reached the islands. Regional tallies indicate that 4587 migrants arrived during that six-day window, bringing the total over five weeks to more than 8000 people. Regional leaders have faced severe strains on local infrastructure, particularly on the small and less populated island of El Hierro.
Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo warned that local services are overwhelmed and pressed Madrid and European institutions for urgent resources. He pushed for coordinated action plans during discussions with central authorities and called for meetings with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner.
This meeting should provide an opportunity for both governments and their respective ministries to agree on a joint action plan containing specific, responsible measures and deadlines for their implementation
Fernando Clavijo, President of the Canary Islands
Clavijo also addressed the broader international scope of the emergency.
The Canary Islands cannot continue to handle practically on their own a situation that requires the intervention of the Spanish government and Europe
Fernando Clavijo, President of the Canary Islands
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez agreed to convene an extraordinary meeting of the Interministerial Immigration Commission to address the continuous arrivals from West African routes, Korrespondent reported. The Atlantic migration route remains active as favorable sea conditions prompt thousands to make the dangerous crossing.
Spanish Territorial Policy Minister Ángel Víctor Torres scheduled a visit to El Hierro to inspect conditions and meet with local administrators. Torres emphasized that the islands must not become a prison for migrants and that responsibility rests with the entire country.