Situation is "dramatic"

Canary Islands overrun by wave of refugees

According to the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, there could be a humanitarian disaster by the end of the year.

(Bild: AFP)

The number of illegal migrants on the Canary Islands has increased dramatically over the course of the year. Between January 1 and August 15, a total of 22,304 illegal boat refugees reached the archipelago in the Atlantic. This is an increase of 126 percent compared to the same period last year.

Fernando Clavijo sounded the alarm at the beginning of the week. "It can't go on like this. We have long since exceeded our limits and capacities," the regional president of the Canary Islands made clear. He was referring to the latest wave of refugees currently flooding the Spanish vacation islands off the west coast of Africa. The situation is "dramatic".

Most of the African boat refugees are now starting the dangerous sea refugee route across the Atlantic from southern states such as Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania, after the EU was once again able to reach an agreement with Morocco on improved control of coastal waters.

According to the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, a humanitarian catastrophe could occur by the end of the year.

(Bild: AFP)

With terrible consequences: "At more than 1000 kilometers, the sea route is much longer and therefore more dangerous than from the Moroccan coast," explains Helena Maleno from the refugee aid organization Caminando Fronteras.

There are already said to be 5,200 underage migrants on the islands.

(Bild: AP)

"It is the most dangerous sea refugee route in the world"
Just twelve days ago, an African refugee boat from Mauritania with 14 skeletons was discovered on a beach in the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean, which missed the Canary Islands. "It is the most dangerous sea refugee route in the world."

In order to stop the influx of refugees from the West African countries, Spain's socialist head of government Pedro Sanchez will travel to Mauritania, Gambia and Senegal next week for crisis talks. Before that, however, he wants to meet with the Canary Islands regional president Clavijo on the island of La Palma on Friday to get his own impression of the situation.