OMM Newsroom
More than 1,000 migrants were brought ashore in Spain’s Canary Islands overnight, including one person who had died, as a surge in arrivals strained services on the small island of El Hierro, Anadolu Agency reported.
At least 1,021 people were brought to El Hierro, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote between Thursday evening and Friday morning, according to Spanish news agency EFE, citing maritime rescue service Salvamento Maritimo.
Most arrived on El Hierro, which has around 11,500 residents. Health services there are under pressure, while protesters have accused authorities of abandoning the island.
Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo described the situation as “absolutely unsustainable” and warned it could worsen. He requested an urgent meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
The provisional overnight tally did not include several boats whose passenger numbers had not been confirmed. Rescuers were also preparing to assist two more vessels near El Hierro.
The Canary Islands received more than 3,200 migrants during the first five days of November, including around 2,300 on El Hierro. An EFE tally said those arriving on the island included 307 minors and 11 babies. Most had departed from Senegal.
Residents protest over pressure on El Hierro
Dozens of protesters gathered in La Restinga, the port town where rescued migrants are brought ashore, to voice frustration over the pressure on the island and what they described as official neglect.
“We are here because everyone looks the other way,” one protester told local broadcaster “RTVC”.
“I want to make it clear that we aren’t racist. The racists are those in power who do nothing, knowing that people are arriving in precarious conditions,” the protester added.
Other demonstrators said local fishers were unable to enter or leave the port to work.
Clavijo said El Hierro’s health services were under strain and called on the central government to provide additional resources. He also urged closer coordination and greater European involvement.
He warned that all indications suggested the situation “is going to get worse.”
The Canary Islands received 6,194 migrants by sea in October, nearly five times the number recorded in the same month last year, according to Interior Ministry figures.
Despite the recent increase, arrivals from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31 totaled 13,327, slightly below the figure for the same period in 2025 and well below the 34,087 recorded in 2024 and 30,425 in 2023.
