CANARY ISLANDS AND BOAT REFUGEES

The Canary Islands and boat refugees have had a complex and challenging relationship for decades, one that cannot be held up as a model example.

For years, the Canary Islands have been at the forefront of a growing humanitarian crisis caused by the influx of boat refugees. This archipelago serves as one of the main entry points to Europe for migrants from Africa and, increasingly, from Asian countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Syria.
The Canary Islands are at the center of a humanitarian crisis.

Challenges and Risks

The Atlantic route, notorious for its deadly risks, is chosen by thousands fleeing poverty, political instability, persecution, or armed conflict in their home countries. This route emerged as a response to increased border controls in the Mediterranean and the Balkans, pushing smuggling networks toward the dangerous crossings from Mauritania, Senegal, and other West African nations. While migrants often dream of a better life in Europe, many pay the ultimate price at sea, leaving the Canary Islands grappling with the challenge of accommodating survivors and addressing the social and logistical issues they bring.

50 Deaths in One Tragedy

As the Canary Islands struggle to care for unaccompanied minor migrants due to a lack of solidarity from many mainland Spanish regions, the Atlantic route remains one of the deadliest migratory routes in the world.

On January 15, Moroccan authorities rescued 36 survivors from a cayuco that departed Mauritania on January 2, 2024, en route to the Canary Islands. Initial reports indicate that the vessel carried 86 passengers, though there may have been more. The boat was adrift for 13 days before capsizing. Among the survivors were 44 Pakistani migrants, including at least three women and a teenage girl, according to the Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras, which operates in the migrants’ countries of origin.

Shifts in Migration Patterns

Helena Maleno, spokesperson for Caminando Fronteras, highlighted that most passengers on the cayuco were Asian, including 66 Pakistani migrants. Spanish police authorities have noted a recent increase in migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, and Bangladesh using the perilous Atlantic route, often departing from Mauritania. Previously, migrants from these countries primarily attempted to enter Europe through the Mediterranean or Balkan routes.

Since the Gibraltar Strait’s closure in August 2019, human smuggling networks have increasingly targeted the Canary Islands. This shift led to nearly 47,000 arrivals in 2024 and a surge in fatalities along the route. According to Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, arrivals from January to November 2024 included 221 Pakistani migrants, 54 Bangladeshis, 13 Syrians, 12 Afghans, one Palestinian, and 47 Somalis.

Exploitation by Smuggling Networks

Javeed Mughal, spokesperson for the largest Pakistani community in Spain, condemned the smuggling networks for misleading young men in small villages. They are deceived into believing the journey is easy, unaware of its true dangers. Mughal emphasized that misinformation and the hope for a better future drive many young people to undertake these treacherous journeys.

Growing Arrivals in 2025

In the first 15 days of 2025, 3,223 migrants arrived via the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands, surpassing the arrival rate of December 2024, when 5,418 migrants landed. These figures underscore the escalating humanitarian crisis in the region and the urgent need for a coordinated European response.

The relationship between the Canary Islands and boat refugees has placed significant pressure on local governments. While they are making every effort to address the crisis, the lack of timely support from the Spanish government and European institutions exacerbates the situation.

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