Salvamento Maritimo, the service responsible for safety in Spanish waters, rescued at least 324 immigrants on Christmas Day who reached the Canary Islands on six boats.
Five primitive boats used by migrants from West Africa arrived on Friday near Gran Canaria, Tenerife and El Hierro, an archipelago of islands in the Atlantic Ocean.
One boat was located approximately 18 kilometers off the coast of Gran Canaria. Weather conditions made it impossible to transfer passengers aboard the lifeboats, so the boat was towed to land, where it was planned to determine the exact number of people on it.
Migrants reached the Canary IslandsPAP/EPA/GELMERT FINOL
Over 60,000 migrants this year
According to statistics recently published by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, this year up to Spain A total of over 60,000 migrants arrived – 14.5 percent more than in 2023. Over 57.7 thousand chose the sea route, including 43.7 thousand the difficult Canary route.
A Red Cross worker helps a migrant child after a boat arrives in the village of La Restinga on the southern island of El HierroPAP/EPA/GELMERT FINOL
Main photo source: PAP/EPA/GELMERT FINOL