According to the Spanish Red Cross, the country recorded over 1,000 migrants arriving in the Canary Islands on October 21 alone. These people all underwent a dangerous journey from Africa.
The Red Cross, which helps treat migrants, said a wooden boat that docked on El Hierro Island in the Canary Islands was carrying 320 people, including women and children. It was a record number of people on a single boat. The largest boat ever found carrying 271 migrants arrived on El Hierro on October 3.
According to the organization, the migrants arriving on October 21 included 783 people on El Hierro island, 98 people on Tenerife island and 150 people on Gran Canaria island.
On the island of Gran Canaria, the coast guard had to tow a wooden boat carrying migrants, including a baby, into the port of Arguineguin. The wooden boat of migrants had previously been anchored in the same port.
The seven islands of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean have become a major destination for migrants trying to reach Spain. This year, the number of people crossing the border from Senegal and other African countries has increased significantly.
Official statistics from January 1 to October 15 this year show that the archipelago received 23,537 migrants, an 80% increase over the same period last year. According to the charity Walking Borders, at least 1,000 people have died while trying to cross the border this year.
Spain's acting migration minister pledged a 50 million euro ($53 million) aid package to help the Canary Islands cope with "irregular migration flows" on October 19.
According to Tin Tuc newspaper