West Africans’ arrivals to Canary Islands surge to 32,878 up to October

Illegal migrants who made it from West Africa to the Canary Islands surged 37% to 32,878 from January to October 15, highlighting the growing demand for this risky route, Spanish interior ministry data showed.

On Oct 21, Spanish coast guard rescued 230 on a wooden boat off the Canary Islands, which have overtaken mainland Spain in terms of the number of illegal migration crossings.

The rise of migration attempts from West Africa to the Canary Islands highlights the impact of infighting in the Sahel and climate change pushing many to consider the perilous journey to the Canary Islands, which can be as far as 1300km.

Migration burden sharing is also triggering a heated debate in Spain as many mainland regions refuse to take in migrants who reach the Canary Islands.