Over 1,000 migrants arrive in Canary Islands in 3 days amid surge

Spain faces an escalating migrant crisis, with a record number of arrivals and deaths reported in the past year.

More than 1,000 migrants from sub-Saharan countries reached Spain's Canary Islands in 18 boats over the past three days, marking a significant increase in arrivals.
Spain's interior ministry reported a record 55,618 migrant arrivals by boat in 2023, nearly double the previous year's figure.
Officials report over 6,600 migrant deaths in attempts to reach Spain by boat last year, more than double the number from 2022.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are set to visit Mauritania to encourage efforts to curtail migrant departures.
Spain and the European Union have cooperation agreements with Mauritania and Senegal to reduce the number of migrants arriving on the islands.