MADRID (Reuters) - The number of migrants reaching Spain's Canary Islands on precarious vessels from West Africa has hit an all-time annual record with 41,425 arrivals between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30 of this year, Interior Ministry data showed on Monday.
The seven islands off northwestern Africa's Atlantic coast are struggling to absorb the surge in irregular migrants arriving on crammed, open-topped boats seeking better opportunities in Europe.
With one month of 2024 still pending, this is the second year in a row that the archipelago, a front line in Europe's struggle to curb migration, has seen a record number.
Mali, Senegal and Morocco were the top three nationalities of migrants reaching the Canaries, according to latest data until October from the European Union's border agency Frontex.
Seeking to revert the trend, Spain has asked Frontex to resume an air and maritime surveillance operation that had ended in 2018 in Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia.
Last year, 39,910 migrants arrived, surpassing the previous record in 2006.
Between January and October, the Canaries registered the fastest increase in arrivals by sea in the EU, even as illegal migrant arrivals in the bloc slumped overall, Frontex data showed.
A fire broke out on Wednesday at a chemical distribution warehouse near Seville in southern Spain, prompting authorities to advise residents to stay indoors due to the potential release of toxic smoke.
Around 160,000 people in Spain’s Catalonia region were ordered to stay indoors on Saturday after a fire at a chemical factory released a toxic chlorine cloud over several towns.
On April 28, 2025, Spain experienced one of the most severe electrical failures in modern European history, with effects cascading across the Iberian Peninsula.
Europe needs to invest trillions of dollars to modernize its outdated electricity grids and expand energy storage, as green energy use rises and demand surges, analysts and industry leaders say.
Thousands of passengers experienced major delays on Spain's high-speed rail network after signaling cables were stolen from four different locations along the line connecting Madrid and Seville, officials reported Monday.
SOCAR Energy Switzerland, a subsidiary of the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijani Republic (SOCAR), has commissioned Switzerland’s first fast-charging station for electric trucks.
Britain is working with the U.S. to ensure a ceasefire between India and Pakistan endures and that "confidence-building measures" and dialogue take place, foreign minister David Lammy said on Saturday.
The informal summit of the heads of state of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) will take place on 20–21 May 2025 in Budapest, the capital of Hungary.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved its Strategic and Capital Framework (SCF) for the next five years, demonstrating strong and continued support for Ukraine.
Poland will restart negotiations with the Czech Republic over a decades-old 400-hectare border dispute, raising questions about the EU’s sovereignty-focused, bilateral approach and its relevance for talks like those between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on May 15, with discussions reportedly focusing on upcoming peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegates in Istanbul.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war in Gaza will not stop until Hamas is destroyed, following the release of US-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander.
Qatar signed a landmark agreement with U.S. aerospace giant Boeing on Wednesday to acquire 160 aircraft for Qatar Airways, a deal valued at $200 billion. The signing took place in Doha during the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ukrainian and Russian delegations meet behind closed doors at Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace at 10:00 local time today to explore security guarantees, territorial integrity and a possible ceasefire.
EU approves 17th Russia sanctions, blacklisting almost 200 shadow‑fleet ships, 30 evasion firms and 75 defence figures, banning missile chemicals and arming Brussels to strike Kremlin hybrid and operations.
Britain is working with the U.S. to ensure a ceasefire between India and Pakistan endures and that "confidence-building measures" and dialogue take place, foreign minister David Lammy said on Saturday.
Poland will restart negotiations with the Czech Republic over a decades-old 400-hectare border dispute, raising questions about the EU’s sovereignty-focused, bilateral approach and its relevance for talks like those between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for May 17th , covering the latest developments you need to know.
A drone strike believed to have been carried out by Russian forces hit a civilian bus in the town of Bilopillia in Ukraine’s Sumy region on Saturday, killing nine people and injuring four, Ukrainian officials said, while Russia’s defence ministry said its drones had struck a military staging area in
Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited all Arab League leaders and the organization's Secretary General to the first-ever Russia-Arab summit on October 15, aiming to strengthen cooperation and enhance peace and stability in the Middle East and North Africa.
SOCAR Energy Switzerland, a subsidiary of the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijani Republic (SOCAR), has commissioned Switzerland’s first fast-charging station for electric trucks.
Britain is working with the U.S. to ensure a ceasefire between India and Pakistan endures and that "confidence-building measures" and dialogue take place, foreign minister David Lammy said on Saturday.
The informal summit of the heads of state of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) will take place on 20–21 May 2025 in Budapest, the capital of Hungary.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved its Strategic and Capital Framework (SCF) for the next five years, demonstrating strong and continued support for Ukraine.
Poland will restart negotiations with the Czech Republic over a decades-old 400-hectare border dispute, raising questions about the EU’s sovereignty-focused, bilateral approach and its relevance for talks like those between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment