Migrant Arrivals to Canary Islands Slow as Morocco Tightens Controls

The migration route to the Canary Islands seems to have changed since the end of the diplomatic crisis between Spain and Morocco. Migrants are flowing more towards Lanzarote and Fuerteventura than Gran Canaria. By the end of August, 10,637 migrants had arrived in the Canary Islands, an increase of 15% compared to August 2021. On the other hand, the flow had increased by 115% between August 2020 and August 2021, according to data from the Ministry of the Interior.

The bulk of the arrivals was concentrated in the first three months of 2022 and dropped considerably at the end of March, after Spain’s change of position on the Sahara. Despite the increase in the number of migrants this year, the number of boats arriving has seen a slight decrease. During the month of August, a peak of arrivals was recorded with the entry of nearly 700 migrants in just four days, reports Publico.

Today, the majority of migrants taking to the Atlantic are Sub-Saharans from West African countries, according to official sources, noting the drop in the number of Moroccan migrants and the number of women in general. This trend is due to the strengthening of police control by Morocco, which has led to a decrease in migrant departures from Dakhla. Departures are increasingly concentrated on the southern coast of Morocco, in the areas near Tarfaya and Tan-Tan.

The Canary Islands route remains the deadliest and one of the most dangerous to reach