Nearly 2,200 migrants arrive in Spain's Canary Islands in two days
Spain's maritime rescue service said on Sunday that almost 2,200 migrants reached the Canary Islands by boat over two days. The archipelago is one of the main entry points for migrants arriving in Spain.
Nearly 2,200 migrants have arrived by boat in Spain's Canary Islands, an archipelago off Africa's northwest coast, over the past two days. Spain's maritime rescue service announced the figure on Sunday. The islands are one of the country's main entry points for migrants, who come mostly from West Africa and attempt the dangerous crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in boats.
The numbers
According to Spain's Interior Ministry, slightly more than 28,000 people arrived in Spain by sea this year from January to the end of October. Of those, more than 13,000 reached the Canary Islands.
The rescue service said it had assisted 1,324 migrants aboard 14 inflatable boats, most of whom landed on the island of El Hierro. That is slightly below the record for the most migrants rescued in a single day on this route: 1,461 people on 7 November 2020. On Friday, 843 people arrived in eight boats.
A dangerous route
The Atlantic stretch between West Africa and the Canary Islands is one of the deadliest migration routes in the world. The islands lie roughly 65 miles (105 kilometres) from the nearest point in Africa. However, to avoid security forces, many migrants attempt longer journeys that can last several days or even weeks. Most boats depart from Mauritania.
