The president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had agreed to convene an emergency meeting of the Interministerial Commission on Immigration on Tuesday, as the El Hierro Island Council declared a social emergency after more than 8,000 migrants arrived in the last five weeks.
Between 1 and 6 November, 49 boats carrying 4,587 migrants reached the Canary Islands, according to the regional government. Of those, 35 boats reached El Hierro, which has about 11,400 residents. Maritime rescue services rescued 3,261 migrants and refugees off the Canary coast in the first six days of November.
The El Hierro Island Council declared a social emergency after the surge. Alpidio Armas, head of the governing council for El Hierro, told Spanish television: "We are very concerned… by this sharp increase in arrivals. This is precisely what has led us to declare an emergency in order to ensure a framework of cooperation with higher-level institutions." Officials are seeking temporary accommodation for the new arrivals while conditions at the island's hospital have become "undesirable", Armas said.
Clavijo said he had briefed Prime Minister Sánchez on the severity of the situation and the mounting discontent among residents.
"This meeting must serve to agree, between both governments and the relevant ministries, on a joint action plan, with specific, responsible measures and deadlines for implementation," Clavijo wrote in a social media post. "We cannot continue to act only when the situation worsens."
He also requested "urgent meetings" with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner. "The Canary Islands cannot continue to face, practically on their own, a situation that requires the involvement of the Spanish government and Europe," Clavijo added.
The Atlantic route from West Africa to the Canary Islands is one of the world's deadliest migration crossings. Two people were found dead on a boat heading for the Canaries this week, and five others are believed to have died during the voyage, according to survivor accounts cited by AFP. At least nine migrants or refugees have died off the islands in recent weeks.
Clavijo said numbers were approaching the record levels seen in 2024, and on some days the current pace was even higher. 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, according to Spain's Ministry of the Interior.
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.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The crisis on El Hierro highlights the growing pressure on small border communities that bear a disproportionate burden of Mediterranean migration.
- The emergency meeting signals a potential shift in Spain's response from ad-hoc management to a coordinated national and EU-level plan.
- Deaths on the Atlantic route underscore the continued dangers of one of the world's deadliest migration corridors.
Background
The Canary Islands, particularly El Hierro, have become a main entry point for migrants and refugees from West Africa traveling the Atlantic route. Arrivals reached a record of more than 46,000 in 2024 before falling due to tighter surveillance and cooperation with origin countries. The current surge has overwhelmed El Hierro's limited infrastructure, with over 8,000 arrivals in five weeks on an island of 11,400 residents. Patrols off Senegal, Mauritania and Morocco have pushed departures further south, making crossings longer and more dangerous.
Key Perspectives
Fernando Clavijo, president of the Canary Islands: described the situation as "absolutely unsustainable" and said the islands cannot face the crisis practically on their own without the Spanish government and Europe.
Alpidio Armas, head of the governing council for El Hierro: said the emergency declaration aims to ensure cooperation with higher-level institutions and described hospital conditions as "undesirable".
What to Watch
- The outcome of Tuesday's Interministerial Commission on Immigration meeting and whether it produces a concrete action plan.
- Whether Clavijo secures meetings with European Commission leaders and what EU support emerges.
- Arrival numbers in the coming weeks: if the current pace continues, 2024's record may be approached or surpassed.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 2 sources: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedPedro Sánchez agreed to convene an emergency Interministerial Commission on Immigration meeting on Tuesday.Euronews: “Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has agreed to convene an emergency meeting of the Interministerial Commission on Immigration on Tuesday”
- SupportedFernando Clavijo described the situation as “absolutely unsustainable.”Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: ““ absolutely unsustainable ”, the Reuters news agency quoted Fernando Clavijo, the regional leader of the Canary Islands, as saying on Friday.”
- SupportedMore than 8,000 migrants arrived on El Hierro over the last five weeks.Euronews: “The El Hierro Island Council has declared a social emergency following the arrival of more than 8,000 migrants over the last five weeks.”
- SupportedThe El Hierro Island Council declared a social emergency following the surge in arrivals.Euronews: “The El Hierro Island Council has declared a social emergency following the arrival of more than 8,000 migrants over the last five weeks.”
- SupportedBetween 1 and 6 November, 49 boats carrying 4,587 migrants arrived in the Canary Islands, according to the regional government.Euronews: “Between 1 and 6 November, 49 boats carrying a total of 4,587 migrants arrived in the Canary Islands, according to the regional government.”
- SupportedOf those boats, 35 reached El Hierro.Euronews: “Of these, 35 reached El Hierro”
- SupportedEl Hierro has about 11,400 residents.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “El Hierro has about 11,400 residents.”
- SupportedMaritime rescue services rescued 3,261 migrants and refugees off the Canary Islands in the first six days of November.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Maritime rescue services rescued 3,261 migrants and refugees off the coast of the Canary Islands in the first six days of November.”
- SupportedAlpidio Armas told Spanish television, “We are very concerned… by this sharp increase in arrivals. This is precisely what has led us to declare an emergency in order to ensure a framework of cooperation with higher-level institutions.”Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: ““We are very concerned… by this sharp increase in arrivals,” Alpidio Armas, head of the governing council for El Hierro, one of Europe’s main entry points for migrants and refugees from West Africa, told Spanish television on Saturday. ... “This is precisely what has led us to declare an emergency in order to ensure a framework of cooperation with higher-level institutions.””
- SupportedClavijo wrote that the meeting should produce a joint action plan with specific measures and implementation deadlines.Euronews: ““This meeting must serve to agree, between both governments and the relevant ministries, on a joint action plan, with specific, responsible measures and deadlines for implementation,” Clavijo wrote in a post on social media.”
- SupportedClavijo wrote, “We cannot continue to act only when the situation worsens.”Euronews: ““We cannot continue to act only when the situation worsens.””
- SupportedClavijo requested “urgent meetings” with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner.Euronews: “He said he had also requested “urgent meetings” with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as well as European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner.”