El Hierro migrant arrivals emergency declaration, Digi Mart USA News (El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain): Authorities on the Spanish island of El Hierro, in the Canary Islands archipelago, called on Saturday for help from regional and national governments after declaring an emergency over a recent surge in migrant arrivals.
Several thousand people have arrived in the Canary Islands over the past few weeks, an archipelago off the coast of West Africa that is one of the main gateways for migration into the European Union. Many landed on El Hierro, where more than 3,300 people arrived in about 30 boats since the start of November, according to the local government.
“We are very concerned about this large proliferation of arrivals,” said Alpidio Armas, president of the island council of El Hierro, an island of nearly 12,000 inhabitants in the southwest of the Canaries, speaking on Spanish public television. “This is what has effectively led us to declare the emergency,” he added.
The local government declared a “social emergency” on Friday to demand more resources and coordination from regional and national administrations. For now, local authorities are looking for places to temporarily house migrants, Armas said, adding that the situation at the local hospital is “undesirable.”
Spanish Minister of Territorial Policy Ángel Víctor Torres announced a government meeting for Tuesday, with the participation of local authorities, “to address the situation in the Canary Islands and, in particular, in El Hierro.”
This time of year is typically favorable for increased arrivals in the Canaries due to favorable sailing conditions. However, a storm was expected Saturday night that could complicate the crossing for those at sea, local authorities warned.
Earlier this week, two migrants were found dead on a boat heading to the Canaries, and according to survivors, five others died during the crossing. On Saturday, Senegal’s gendarmerie announced it had intercepted a boat off its coast carrying 142 migrants trying to reach Spain, including about 20 women, two minors and two babies.
The Canary Islands, along with Italy and Greece, are the main entry points to Europe for migrants fleeing poverty, conflict and persecution. The long journey from West Africa is extremely dangerous due to strong currents and the condition of the boats.
After closing 2024 with a peak of more than 46,000 arrivals, stricter surveillance and greater cooperation with countries of origin and transit helped reduce migratory flows to the Canaries. Between January and October, 13,327 irregular migrants entered the Canaries, a 5.5% decrease compared with the same period in 2025, according to the Interior Ministry.
