The Canary Islands have seen an unprecedented influx of migrants from West Africa in 2024, with more than 40,000 people arriving between January 1 and November 30, according to Spain’s Ministry of the Interior.
This figure marks a record annual total of 41,425, surpassing last year’s 39,910 and breaking the previous record set in 2006.
The ministry noted that from January to October, the Canary Islands experienced the fastest growth in incoming migration. In response to the surge, Fernando Clavijo, president of the Canary Islands government, mentioned that the regional administration is contemplating legal action against the Spanish government for failing to adequately address the migration crisis.
The Spanish government, meanwhile, has announced plans to develop a temporary “strategic plan” aimed at easing the migration challenges in the Canary Islands and Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa.
