Spain has declared a migration emergency in the Canary Islands, Al Jazeera reported. The move follows the arrival of more than 9,000 people in the Atlantic territory since the start of November. Most came from West Africa in wooden fishing boats known as pirogues.
Spain's Maritime Rescue Service said it rescued 1,488 migrants from 14 boats on Saturday, according to Al Jazeera. Most landed on El Hierro. That beats the record of 1,461 people rescued in a single day in November 2020. Spanish news agency EFE gave a higher figure of 1,580 people on 15 boats, The Eastleigh Voice reported. Spanish authorities said more than 2,300 migrants arrived between Friday and Saturday.
One boat on Saturday carried 240 people, including 12 women and 36 children, authorities said. Many migrants leave from Senegal, while others come from The Gambia and Guinea, according to The Eastleigh Voice. The International Organization for Migration recorded at least 450 deaths on the West African Atlantic route in the first 10 months of 2026.
Territorial Policy Minister Angel Victor Torres visited El Hierro on Sunday. In La Restinga, at the island's southern tip, the minister thanked residents for "their solidarity and commitment", The Eastleigh Voice reported. El Hierro has a population of nearly 12,000, raising concerns about strain on its limited resources. New arrivals are processed at the port, then sent to other islands or the Spanish mainland, Al Jazeera's Bernard Smith said.
The surge comes despite the EU's new Pact on Migration and Asylum, which came into force on June 12, 2026. Smith said the rules have not stopped the flow to Spain and its enclaves. Still, total arrivals in the Canary Islands from January to October 31 were 5.5 per cent lower than in the same period last year, according to The Eastleigh Voice.
Al Jazeera's Nicolas Haque, reporting from Dakar, said good weather on the Atlantic has made departures easier in recent years. He said up to 100 people pack into a pirogue for a journey that can last a week.
The arrivals add pressure on Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Opposition parties have criticised his government's handling of migration. Migration and housing are expected to dominate the debate before snap elections later this month, The Eastleigh Voice reported.