Migrant arrivals to Spain’s Canaries jump by over 1,000% in January – Times of India

MADRID: The variety of migrants from West Africa who braved the ocean in fragile boats to succeed in Spain’s Canary Islands jumped greater than 1,000% in January from a yr in the past, information launched by the nation’s inside ministry on Thursday confirmed. A complete of seven,270 irregular migrants reached the archipelago within the Atlantic Ocean between Jan. 1 and Jan. 31, a virtually 13-fold enhance from the 566 in the identical month in 2023, the ministry mentioned. The chain of islands off Africa’s northwestern coast, one among Spain’s hottest vacationer locations, was the entry level for 39,910 migrants final yr, an all-time report.El Hierro, the smallest and westernmost island, obtained extra migrants than its personal inhabitants of 9,000 in 2023. In keeping with an annual report by rights group Strolling Borders, the Atlantic path to the Canary Islands is the deadliest migration path to Spain, as 6,007 folks misplaced their lives throughout the dangerous sea voyage final yr. The overall variety of migrants who irregularly entered Spain in January – each by land and sea – was 8,067, a 524% enhance in comparison with a yr in the past, the ministry added.