Canary Islands sees mass increase in migrants in 2020


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MADRID (Bywire News) - The Spanish Interior Ministry said on Monday, that in the last year, there has been a vast 8 fold increase in the number of undocumented immigrants arriving in dingy boats on the coast of Spain's Canary Islands. 

As a result of the pandemic, the tourism and travel industries greatly suffered, leaving many North and sub-Saharan Africans in dire conditions, desperate for a way out. According to the ministry, around 23,000 migrants arrived in the archipelago in 2020, an increase of 2,600+ from the previous year. 

The International Organization for Migration said that last year, hundreds of people fleeing their home country died when trying to make the dangerous crossing over the Atlantic Ocean. Most of these people set out on overcrowded boats, with poor infrastructure, not suitable for travelling long-distances. 

Although the Canary Islands are over 1,000 kilometres from mainland Spain, many of those seeking asylum, look at the Canary Islands as a middle ground between them and central Europe. 

Following this increase, the number of migrants intercepted by Spanish authorities in 2020 alone increased by 29%.

(Written by Klaudia Fior)

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