MADRID — Favorable late-summer weather conditions, including calm seas and gentle winds, have triggered a significant surge in migrant crossings from West Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands, local authorities reported on Thursday. Spanish maritime rescue services intercepted four boats carrying 222 migrants early on Thursday, adding to the 13 vessels with 780 migrants that reached the islands earlier in the week.
“The favourable sea conditions are driving a significant increase in arrivals,” said Fernando Clavijo, the regional president of the Canary Islands, during an interview on state-owned television. The surge in migrant arrivals has heightened tensions between the Canary Islands’ regional government and Spain’s central administration over the care of underage migrants, with the islands’ infrastructure overwhelmed by around 5,000 minors.
Clavijo expressed optimism that a deal between Spain’s minority left-wing government and the conservative People’s Party (PP) would soon be reached to transfer some of the underage migrants to the Spanish mainland. Previous attempts to broker such a deal faced opposition from the far-right Vox party, which walked out of coalitions with the PP over the issue.
In the first seven months of 2024, migrant arrivals to the Canary Islands nearly doubled compared to the same period last year, reaching 26,758, according to Spain’s Interior Ministry. Estimates from charity groups suggest that up to 150,000 more migrants are preparing to make the journey from Western Africa.
While Spain faces a surge in arrivals, Italy has seen a decline following a 2023 pact between the European Union and Tunisia. Italy is also set to open migrant processing camps in Albania in the coming weeks, as part of its broader effort to manage migration flows.