Canary Islands’ El Hierro declares emergency amid migrant, refugee influx

El Hierro has asked the government in Madrid for assistance as the island grapples with a sharp increase in arrivals. The governing council head, Alpidio Armas, stated that the situation led to the emergency declaration to ensure cooperation with higher-level institutions.

Local authorities report that more than 3,300 people have arrived in about 30 boats since November 1. The island has approximately 11,400 residents, and officials are urgently seeking temporary accommodation for the new arrivals.

Conditions at the island’s hospital have become undesirable, and the situation is described as absolutely unsustainable. The regional leader, Fernando Clavijo, noted that the numbers were approaching record levels seen in 2024, with some days seeing a pace even higher.

Maritime rescue services rescued 3,261 migrants and refugees off the coast of the Canary Islands in the first six days of November. Buses have been diverted to migration operations, and medical staff have been brought in from other islands.

Deadly route

The Atlantic route from West Africa to the Canary Islands is one of the world’s deadliest migration crossings. At least nine migrants or refugees have died off the islands in recent weeks, with two people found dead on a boat this week and five others believed to have died during the voyage.

Arrivals reached a record of more than 46,000 in 2024, then fell sharply due to tighter surveillance and greater cooperation with countries of origin and transit. Between January and October, 13,327 irregular migrants and refugees arrived by sea, 5.5 percent fewer than in the same period last year.

Patrols off Senegal, Mauritania and Morocco have pushed departures further south, from The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea, making crossings longer. Senegalese police said on Saturday that they intercepted 142 migrants, including women and young children, off Dakar.