3,480 migrants have made it to the Canaries so far this year, nine times more than in 2023

In the first two weeks of the year, a total of 3,480 migrants arrived in the Canary Islands aboard 53 boats, marking a massive increase of nine times compared to the same period in 2023 (+838%), when 317 arrivals were recorded, according to data released by the Ministry of the Interior.

The influx of migrants to the Canary Islands represents 94% of arrivals registered in the whole of Spain during these fifteen days, with a total of 3,678 people, quadrupling the figures from last year (+297%).

The small boats covering the Canary Route continue to contribute to soaring statistics, following a 2023 that saw 39,910 migrants arriving on the islands. This surpasses the figure recorded in 2006 during the so-called "cayuco crisis," when 39,180 irregular migrants reached Spain by boat.

However, migrants arriving to the mainland and the Balearic Islands have decreased by 67% compared to the previous year. A total of just 178 individuals arrived on 27 boats, contrasting with the 538 arrivals aboard 52 vessels the previous year.

No migrants have reached Ceuta and Melilla by sea; however, some have managed to cross the border fence. Seventeen individuals arrived in the first of the autonomous cities - eleven fewer than in the first fifteen days of 2023. Additionally, three people arrived in the second - one less than last year.