More than 240 migrants rescued off Canary Islands amidst deadly Atlantic crossing

Spanish rescuers saved 248 migrants, including women and children, from dangerous waters off the Canary Islands, on Sunday, 24 August.

The group, which included a newborn baby, was brought to Arguineguin port in Gran Canaria for medical attention.

The migrants, rescued after perilous conditions in the Atlantic, arrived aboard fragile boats and dinghies.

The Atlantic route remains one of the deadliest paths for migrants fleeing West Africa.

The number of arrivals in the Canary Islands surged to a record high in 2024 with 46,843 people crossing the Atlantic illegally. However, 2025 has so far seen a 46.7% drop in arrivals, according to Interior Ministry data from 15 August.

Many of the migrants have fled countries such as Senegal, Mali, and Nigeria, where economic hardship and political instability have pushed people to seek a better life in Europe, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

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