A popular Spanish tourist destination loved by Brits has seen an influx of nearly 1,000 migrant boats in the space of just 72 hours.
Over the weekend, the Canary Islands were inundated with people trying to access the archipelago from Africa.
According to Spain's maritime rescue service, there were 914 rescues across the islands between Friday and Sunday.
The majority of arrivals were men from Sub-Saharan Africa, but there were also some women and children. This brings the total migrant arrivals to the Canary Islands to 2,000 since Christmas Day – less than a week ago.
The journey from Africa to the Spanish islands is incredibly dangerous, with 10,400 people dying while making the crossing this year alone.
This equates to nearly 30 people every single day in 2024 – an increase of 58% on last year, according to a report by the collective Caminando Fronteras.
The Canary Islands are commonly used as a way to get into mainland Spain and the rest of Europe by claiming asylum, with tens of thousands of people coming in from West Africa alone this year.
The Atlantic migration route used to get to the islands is considered one of the world's most dangerous due to strong winds, currents, and extreme weather conditions.
Migrants often set off from rocky shores that are hard to reach, and dock in hidden areas, which increases the risk of accidents.
The total number of deaths along the route for this year includes 1,538 children and 421 women. April and May were the deadliest months, according to Caminando Fronteras.
There has also been a “sharp increase” in arrivals from Mauritania, which has now become the main country where people are coming from, according to the organization.
Earlier this year, Spain said it would give £174 million to help Mauritania catch smugglers and crack down on small boat crossings.
However, the country has still seen an increase in migrant arrivals this year. For the period up to December 15, it saw more than 57,700 people arriving by boat – a 12% increase from 2023.