A large number of refugees dominate the small Canary Island

The increase in the arrival of hundreds of people, which has been going on for days, poses major problems for the Canary Islands, especially the small island of El Hierro. The Spanish Maritime Rescue Service said that 518 migrants were rescued today alone, who were traveling on six boats off the coast of the Spanish Atlantic archipelago.

She added that 277 of these migrants were taken to safety near El Hierro and then transported to the island. This means that the number of people arriving illegally in El Hierro since Tuesday has risen to nearly 1,500. The island’s population is 11,000 people, and according to its own statements, it cannot handle such an influx. Some media have already started talking about the “Spanish Lampedusa”.

The vast majority of refugees were said to come from sub-Saharan countries. It is believed that the increase in the number of arrivals to the Canary Islands is linked to the political and social crisis in Senegal.

Canary Islands Prime Minister Fernando Clavijo told Antena 3 television on Friday that the situation was “untenable,” and the conservative politician accused the left-wing central government of inaction. He said: “We are astonished and puzzled by the silence of the Spanish government, which seems completely indifferent to the events related to immigration and the pressures facing all the Canary Islands.”