Six Dead in Tragic Migration Route to the Canary Islands

el hierro - A deadly migrant route has claimed the lives of six individuals aboard fishing boats heading to the Canary Islands.

The most deadly migrant route, spanning from the West African coast to the Canary Islands, has once again resulted in fatalities. The migrants onboard four 'cayucos' (fishing boats) departed from Nuakchot in Mauritania, despite the cold and rough waves. The fishing boat carrying five deceased individuals transported 81 men from Mali, Senegal, Bangladesh, and Gambia. Upon arrival in El Hierro, the emergency services discovered four lifeless bodies in the boat. Another passenger later passed away due to a heart attack.

The first three boats arrived in the southern coastal town of La Restinga around midnight, where tourists and locals could witness their arrival from the promenade. The fourth fishing boat was nearly a hundred kilometers off the coast when the maritime police located it. The sixth lifeless body was found on that boat. The deceased are being transferred to the El Hierro mortuary, where more migrants were buried this year than local residents.

The route from Mauritania and Senegal, which takes at least a week to traverse, is inherently dangerous, especially during the winter months when the sea is rougher and colder compared to the summer. The wooden, rickety fishing boats, driven by currents and strong trade winds past El Hierro, vanish into the open sea. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 702 deaths were recorded on this route in the first seven months of this year. These figures only account for registered cases, leaving the true number of unrecorded deaths in the Atlantic Ocean unknown.

A total of over 41,000 migrants arrived in the Canary Islands in the first eleven months of this year, surpassing last year's total of over 39,000 by far. The numbers also exceed those from the 'cayuco crisis' year of 2006 when nearly 32,000 migrants entered. Particularly in the early months of this year, there was a significant influx, with around 7,000 migrants arriving monthly. The flow seemed to diminish in the summer, but in September, over five thousand migrants arrived, followed by over three thousand in October and over seven thousand in November.

Even in the first weeks of December, hundreds have already arrived, with most washing ashore on the small island of El Hierro, home to just 11,000 residents. The Canary Islands bear the brunt of all migrants setting foot on Spanish soil, accounting for 72.7% of the total 56,976 migrants.

Regional Premier Fernando Clavijo has emphasized the archipelago's need for more assistance in reception. In the Canary Islands, inhabited by only 2.2 million people, accommodating 'menores' (minors) poses a challenge. While adult migrants are transferred to reception centers on the mainland, minors are mandated by Spanish law to be accommodated in the region where they first land. Leftist Prime Minister Sánchez attempted to broker a deal whereby other regions would 'take in' half of these minor migrants, facing opposition from right-wing governments in several regions.

Prime Minister Sánchez has announced plans to grant residency permits to 900,000 illegal migrants over the next three years, encompassing 300,000 individuals in 2025, 2026, and 2027. The measure aims to bolster the workforce, combating shortages in many sectors amid Spain's rapidly growing economy within the European Union. This policy stance starkly contrasts with the strict immigration policies of the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy.