Balearic migrant route steady as 4,357 reach Canaries

The migrant route through the Balearic Islands remains steady, while 4,357 people have reached the Canary Islands by sea in the past fortnight. On 7 November, the Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid (CEAR) and aid group Accem point to autumn weather as a main reason for the rise in Canary Islands arrivals. At least seven people died trying to reach the islands on 1 November.

Calmer seas, changing departure points

Accem says more boats usually take the Canary Islands route between September and November, when the sea is calmer. CEAR director Mónica López also cites autumn conditions and safer sea travel as reasons for the seasonal rise.

Where boats set off has changed too. For two months, departures were mainly from southern Morocco and Western Sahara, bound for Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. In recent days, boats from Senegal and Gambia have again headed for El Hierro. López also points to political instability and limited economic prospects in West Africa.

Why the Balearic route is different

López says a fall in arrivals on one route does not automatically mean a rise on another. People reaching the Canary Islands come predominantly from West Africa; those on the Balearic route are mainly from Somalia and Sudan. CEAR says arrivals across the Balearic Islands remain stable.

The recent surge in the Canaries comes despite a fall over the year so far. Spain’s Interior Ministry recorded 13,327 irregular arrivals there from 1 January to 31 October, down 5.5% on the same period last year. Across Spain, arrivals rose 8.9% to 32,942 over that period. López has urged the Spanish and Canary Islands governments to keep their attention on the dangerous Atlantic crossing.

Topics: Migration

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com