Surge in Moroccan Migrants Reaching Canary Islands, Spanish Officials Report

According to sources from the Spanish Commission for Refugee Assistance in the Canaries (CEAR), the number of Moroccan and Saharan migrants arriving on the island has increased significantly in recent months, after a long period of significant decline. Most of these migrants prefer to go to the island of Lanzarote.

According to official data, more than 11,000 migrants, including about 35% women and children, have already arrived in the Canaries this year, an increase of 5,000 people compared to the same period in 2020.

These migrants, mostly young people and women and therefore vulnerable, benefit from comprehensive humanitarian assistance from CEAR and its partners such as the White Cross and the Red Cross. Currently, CEAR centers are overwhelmed due to the increase in the number of migrants (women and children). For its part, the Canarian government is overwhelmed by the situation. It is having difficulty integrating and schooling the more than 2,500 unaccompanied minors who are under the guardianship of the region.

In total, nearly 4,500 migrants have joined Gran Canaria since the beginning of this year, making it the preferred destination for migrants. It is followed by Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, which have already recorded the arrival of nearly 2,500 migrants each, by Tenerife (1,000 migrants), El Hierro (about 750 migrants) and La Gomera (100 migrants).