On Saturday, numerous individuals gathered in the Canary Islands to express their concerns over the increasing number of migrants arriving on the archipelago. Since the start of 2024, more than 19,000 people have reached these Spanish islands.
The Canary Islands, located off the northwest coast of Africa, are becoming a sought-after destination for those undertaking hazardous journeys across the Atlantic in hopes of improving their lives in Europe.
Demonstrators bearing signs such as "Protect our communities" and "Prevent illegal immigration," marched through cities including Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, with reports indicating several hundreds participated.
Juan Manuel Garcia, a participant from Tenerife, conveyed his distress over the situation to AFPTV, stating that local resources were insufficient to support the newcomers. Similarly, Rudy Ruyman emphasized the severity of the issue by referring to it as "human traffic" and pointed out the potential involvement of criminal elements in these perilous journeys at sea.
Despite lawyers urging a ban on such protests due to concerns they might constitute hate crimes, authorities did not respond to this request, according to news sources.
The Canary Islands are among the top three European destinations for migrants arriving by sea, alongside Italy and Greece. The islands received 297 boats with 19,257 individuals onboard from June 1st until June 30th, a significant increase compared to 150 boats carrying 7,213 people during the same timeframe last year.
In comparison to previous years, nearly 40,000 migrants reached the Canary Islands in 2023, surpassing figures from 2006 and marking a notable increase from 15,600 migrants in 2022.
While the Mediterranean route is notoriously dangerous for those seeking passage to Europe, it has become less traveled than this alternative Atlantic path due to stricter monitoring measures.
The latest arrivals included a vessel with 56 passengers on El Hierro, one of the Canary Islands' smaller islands in the southwest. Tragically, one individual was discovered deceased by emergency services.
According to data from Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras shared in June, over 5,000 migrants perished during their attempts to reach Spain via sea within the first five months of the year—an average of 33 deaths daily. Most fatalities occurred en route to and through the Canary Islands.
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