According to monthly data from the ministry, 41,425 migrants landed between January and November in this Spanish archipelago located off the coast of northwest Africa.
The number of migrants entering Spain illegally via the Canary Islands exceeded the annual record set in 2023 at the end of November, due to a sharp increase in arrivals in recent weeks, according to the Interior Ministry. According to monthly data from the ministry, 41,425 migrants landed between January and November in this Spanish archipelago located off the coast of northwest Africa, including 7,338 people in November, the highest monthly figure since the beginning 2024.
The number of arrivals is already higher at this stage of the year than the 39,910 entries recorded for the whole of 2023, which nevertheless constituted an absolute record for the Canary Islands, which have become by far the main gateway migrants in Spain. According to the ministry, 610 illegal boats have managed to reach the seven islands of the archipelago since January, compared to 530 in 2023.
Across the country, 56,976 arrivals were also recorded, i.e. 12.7% more than for the whole of 2023 (50,551). This figure remains at this stage lower than the absolute record of 2018, when 64,298 illegal migrants arrived in Spain.
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Alarm bell
In the Canaries, these massive arrivals have pushed the authorities to sound the alarm several times in recent months. The latter say in particular that they are incapable of managing the influx of unaccompanied minors, whom they must take care of in reception centers.
This situation pushed the government of socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to initiate discussions with the Popular Party (PP, right) on the distribution of the reception of minors on Spanish territory. But these talks have stalled for months.
The increase in illegal migrant arrivals comes as the Sánchez government adopted a regulatory reform in mid-November intended to facilitate the regularization of illegal immigrants, deemed necessary for the Iberian economy due to the aging of the population.
Frequent shipwrecks
With this reform, which notably provides for a reduction in the time taken to obtain residence permits and the extension of the duration of the job search visa from three months to one year, up to 300,000 immigrants could be regularized each year. for the next three years.
According to the authorities, thousands of migrants have died in recent years trying to reach Europe by the Atlantic route from Africa, mainly via the Canaries, aboard overloaded boats and often in poor condition. However, frequent shipwrecks have not stopped this route from gaining popularity, as it is less monitored than the Mediterranean route.
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