On October 20, more than 230 migrants were rescued from a flimsy boat off the coast of Spain’s Canary Islands, as reported by the coastguards. Among the 231 people aboard were 14 women and three children, making it the largest single-boat migrant rescue near Gran Canaria this year, according to Spanish officials speaking.
The wooden vessel was found near Gran Canaria’s main port, and coastguards towed it to safety. This operation highlights the increasing number of migrant rescue missions due to the perilous journeys many are making along the Atlantic migration route from West Africa to the Canary Islands.
Government data shows that between January and October 15, around 32,878 migrants embarked on this dangerous journey a 39.7% increase compared to the same period last year. Although the Canary Islands route has experienced the most rapid increase in irregular migration, the number of migrants using this path remains lower than those traveling the Central Mediterranean route toward Italy.
