The Minister for Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, announced on Sunday that the Canary Islands will receive a third Maritime Rescue rescue vessel in the coming days, meaning that three of the five vessels of this type in Spain will be based there, and he revealed that the Government will discuss further reinforcements on Tuesday in response to the surge in migration.
Torres visited the port of La Restinga alongside the president of the El Hierro Island Council, Alpidio Armas, at a time when there is a steady stream of cayucos arriving; there, he witnessed the disembarkation of migrants and met with local residents, some of whom were demonstrating with placards.
«The Canary Islands are part of Spain, the Canary Islands are part of Europe, just as Ceuta is, just as Melilla is, just as Andalusia is; we must provide a unified response to the border territories,» the minister emphasised.
El Hierro: Third lifeboat and further aid planned
He explained that the new guardamar was due to arrive between this Sunday and Monday, but weather and sea conditions have delayed its journey, so it is now expected to arrive between Monday and Tuesday.
The minister, who has been in contact with the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, has called a further meeting of the Interministerial Commission on Migration for Tuesday at 7.30 am Canary Islands time to assess the events of the past week and adopt additional measures in response to the pressure facing El Hierro; Canary Islands authorities may join the meeting remotely.
He has revealed that on Saturday he spoke with the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, to follow up on the measures being taken on the island of El Hierro.
«We are going to provide an update on the measures and also on the events of the past week,» the minister announced, emphasising that work is being carried out on «social and economic measures by the Ministry of Finance» in collaboration with the El Hierro Island Council and the Canary Islands Government.
At the inter-ministerial meeting held last Tuesday, the Government approved an emergency migration fund of 15.2 million euros to increase the number of reception places and one million euros for the Red Cross to improve care and assistance for migrants, the minister recalled.
Migrant arrivals are putting a strain on healthcare services on El Hierro
He pointed out that there has been a sharp rise in arrivals since 15 October and noted that on Saturday the highest number of migrants to have disembarked in the Canary Islands in a single day since records began was recorded.
According to the figures he has provided, some 27,000 migrants have arrived in the archipelago this year, of whom approximately 17,000 have arrived on El Hierro; these figures, despite the recent increase, remain below those recorded in 2024, when the number of arrivals exceeded 40,000.
On the subject of healthcare, he pointed out that approximately one third of the thirty hospital beds available on El Hierro are occupied by migrants, and he gave an assurance that the central government is prepared to provide financial support to the Canary Islands Government to strengthen healthcare provision.
Torres has stated that the Minister for Health, Mónica García, has been in contact with the regional minister, Esther Monzón, to address the island’s needs and, regarding the possibility of setting up a field hospital, he has affirmed that the Government will support the initiative if its necessity and usefulness are demonstrated.
He has emphasised that migration is a cyclical phenomenon and has argued that there are currently reception facilities and a network for referring migrants to other islands and the mainland that were not available during the 2020 crisis.
«Flights are arriving and departing from the Canary Islands; in the case of the island of El Hierro, there are also boats,» he explained.
Senegal: Spain extends surveillance and plans Frontex deployment
He has also announced that the Spanish aircraft deployed for surveillance duties in Senegal will remain there until December, and highlighted the diplomatic contacts maintained with that country, Mauritania and The Gambia in an attempt to reduce the number of boats setting sail.
He also stated that Spain has requested the deployment of Frontex in African countries, a proposal which, he noted, has been accepted and is currently awaiting the completion of the administrative procedures.
Aliens Act intended to facilitate the distribution of migrant minors
The minister has also advocated amending the Immigration Act to allow for the relocation of unaccompanied migrant children to other autonomous communities.
On the subject of returns, he has warned that they cannot be carried out «overnight», as they require individual case files and many of the new arrivals may be eligible for international protection.
«The phenomenon of migration cannot begin and end where the sea lies,» said Torres, who called for a comprehensive response based on solidarity between regions and thanked the emergency services for their work and the people of El Hierro for their solidarity.
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