Barcelona, Oct. 10, (dpa/GNA) – The Canary Islands have registered the highest number of migrant arrivals by boat since 2006, according to local media reports on Saturday.
More than 700 migrants in 22 boats arrived on the Canaries on Friday, newspaper La Provincia wrote. They were reportedly travelling across the Atlantic in small fishing boats called cayucos and taken in by sea rescue.
This marked the highest number of arrivals in one day since 2006. During that year, more than 31,000 migrants in ships reached the archipelago, which belongs to Spain.
This year, an increasing number of migrants have tried to reach the Canaries again. Some 7,500 have arrived since January, compared to 2,700 last year, broadcaster RTVE reported.
The Canary Islands lie 100 kilometres off the West African coast, though crossing the open Atlantic is a dangerous feat for the migrants’ small boats, and there are only estimates about the number of people who did not make it and died in the attempt.
GNA