According to the Maritime Rescue Service, more than 900 migrants have arrived in several boats in the past 24 hours after crossing from West Africa to the Spanish Canary Islands, reports RTE.
Their arrival came during a meeting of European Union leaders in Granada, southern Spain, where immigration was in the spotlight due to a recent surge in arrivals on the Italian island of Lampedusa.
Five boats carrying a total of 526 people reached El Hierro, the smallest and westernmost of the Canary Islands, according to the Spanish Maritime Rescue Service.
Two more boats arrived in Tenerife and three in Gran Canaria, with a total of 908 people, including women and children, reports RTE.
Last night, an emergency services spokesman said two other boats were heading for El Hierro with about 150 people on board.
Migrant flows to the Canary Islands have increased in recent days, with smugglers taking advantage of the calm weather to bring people to the Atlantic Ocean islands off Africa’s northwest coast.
At its closest point, the islands are 100 km from Morocco.
A boat carrying 280 migrants landed in El Hierro on Tuesday, the largest number to reach the archipelago on a single ship, reports RTE.
Officials say more than 1,200 migrants have arrived on the tiny island of 11,000 people in the past week, overwhelming the capacity of social services.
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