The EU is debating the issue of migration in Granada, Spain, with an eye on the Italian island of Lampedusa. But now the situation is also getting worse in the Canary Islands. El Hierro demands help from the EU.
Hundreds of migrants have been reaching the Canary Islands for days and the number is increasing every day. On Friday alone, a total of 518 migrants who were traveling on six boats off the coast of Spain’s Atlantic archipelago had been rescued since midnight, the Spanish maritime rescue service said.
The small island of El Hierro in particular is posing major problems due to the increase in migrant arrivals. It said 277 of the 518 people were brought to safety near El Hierro and then taken to the island. This means the number of people who have arrived irregularly on El Hierro since Tuesday has increased to almost 1,500.
The island has around 11,000 inhabitants and says it cannot cope with such an influx of migrants. Some media are already talking about the “Spanish Lampedusa”.
The Red Cross is caring for migrants who have arrived on the island of El Hierro.
“Spanish Lampedusa”
According to official information, a total of 484 men, eight women and 26 minors were brought to safety on Friday. The vast majority come from countries south of the Sahara, it said.
It is believed that the increase in arrivals in the Canary Islands is linked to the political and social crisis in Senegal. The situation is “untenable,” Canary Islands Prime Minister Fernando Clavijo told the TV station Antena 3. The conservative politician accused the left-wing central government of inaction. “We are stunned and perplexed by the silence of a Spanish government that appears to be completely indifferent to events surrounding migration and the pressures faced by all Canary Islands,” he said.
Island calls for help from Madrid
It is not known why most migrant boats on the so-called Canarian route recently headed for El Hierro. According to authorities, hundreds of migrants have now been taken to other, much larger Canary Islands, such as Tenerife. The island government of El Hierro nevertheless demanded “extraordinary and urgent” measures from Madrid and the EU.
“The Herreños are a helpful and sensitive people who know first-hand what emigration means. But they are neither prepared in terms of area, population nor resources to handle such a large number of migrants,” it said a message.
According to the Spanish aid organization Caminando Fronteras, at least 951 migrants died trying to reach Spain by sea in the first six months of the year. Accordingly, 778 of them were not registered in the Mediterranean, but on the route from West Africa to the Canary Islands.