Spain’s Canary Islands break annual record for migrants arriving by boat

OVIEDO, Spain

After nearly 1,000 migrants reached the shores of Spain’s Canary Islands this weekend, the archipelago broke the previous annual record for migrant arrivals by sea.

Close to 32,000 migrants have completed the dangerous Atlantic route from the African continent to the Spanish islands off northwestern Africa this year. This figure not only doubles last year's count but also exceeds the previous peak in 2006 when 31,678 individuals made the journey.

By the end of September, Interior Ministry figures said that just under 15,000 people had arrived in the whole of 2023, similar to 2022’s numbers.

However, a massive surge that began in October has seen nearly 17,000 men, women, and children arrive on the islands.

With the Canary Islands’ services overwhelmed by the influx, the Spanish government has initiated transfers of many migrants to mainland Spain.

Arrivals have not slowed down since then, despite inclement weather. This weekend, with weather warnings for waves and rain, at least four people died upon arrival or after being treated in local hospitals.

The route to the Canary Islands is among the deadliest for migrants worldwide. In the first half of the year, with far fewer people attempting to cross the sea, the NGO Walking Borders estimated that 778 people lost their lives.