LA RESTINGA, Spain — Spain’s maritime rescue services brought 3,261 migrants to the Canary Islands in the first six days of November, Reuters reported on Friday.
Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo said the situation on the island of El Hierro was “absolutely unsustainable,” Reuters reported.
Key facts
- Rescuers took about 500 people from two boats on Thursday night and recovered one body at La Restinga, Reuters reported.
- At least nine migrants died off the islands in recent weeks, Reuters reported.
- Arrivals were still down nearly 61% in the first 10 months of 2026 compared with the same period of 2024, Reuters reported.
- Almost 3,000 people landed on El Hierro in October, RTVC, the Canary Islands public broadcaster, reported.
A small island under pressure
El Hierro has about 11,400 residents and is one of Europe’s main entry points for migrants arriving from West Africa, Reuters reported.
The Atlantic route from West Africa to the Canary Islands is one of the world’s deadliest migration crossings, the news agency reported.
On Oct. 28, Clavijo asked Spain’s central government for an extraordinary program to reinforce medical staff at the islands’ temporary reception centers, RTVC reported. He made the request in a letter to Secretary of State for Migration Pilar Cancela.
Clavijo also called for improvements at La Restinga’s pier and said the central government had not answered the regional government’s requests, RTVC reported.
Related coverage
Sources
- Reuters, via Yahoo News, “Migrant surge to Spain’s Canary Islands is unsustainable, authorities say,” Nov. 6, 2026
- RTVC, “Clavijo reclama al Estado un refuerzo extraordinario de los servicios sanitarios en los CATE,” Oct. 28, 2026
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