Boat with 174 irregular migrants arrives at Canary Islands

MADRID

A boat with 174 irregular migrants on board reached the island of El Hierro amid the ongoing irregular migrant flow towards the Canary Islands off the coast of Spain, press reports said on Friday.

The Spanish Coast Guard told media outlets that a boat with 174 irregular migrants from Mali, Senegal, Mauritania, and Pakistan arrived at the southern port of La Restinga on the island of El Hierro on Friday morning.

One man who was an irregular migrant died, and 11 women and six babies were among the migrants.

Four of the migrants were hospitalized due to dehydration.

More than 800 irregular migrants have arrived on the island of El Hierro in eight boats since the start of the week.

While the flow of irregular migrants from the coasts of North and West Africa to Spain rose 66.2% in 2023, the Canary Islands group – some 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) from mainland Spain, but part of the country – stands out as the place that receives the most migrants.

According to Spanish Interior Ministry data, a total of 31,155 irregular migrants entered Spain this year up to Aug. 15, including over 22,300 to the Canary Islands.

Starting Tuesday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will pay a three-day visit to Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia to seek measures to stem irregular migration.

*Writing by Merve Berker