Spain's rescue service said on Thursday that 550 migrants have arrived on the Canary Islands in two days. At least one person on board the vessels was dead on arrival.
The Canary Islands have periodically been the target of migrant vessels traveling across the Atlantic from mainly West African countries. During the first half of January, 3,400 migrants arrived in Spain, primarily on the island group. Many of the migrants lack valid documents for entry into the EU.
In 2024, it is estimated that 61,000 migrants, a large proportion of them from African countries, will have made their way to Spanish territory – of these, nearly 47,000 people will have reached the Canary Islands.
