2 boats carrying 327 migrants reach Spain’s El Hierro island

By Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) - A total of 327 irregular migrants arrived on Spain’s El Hierro island in the past 24 hours aboard two separate boats, the Canary Islands Coast Guard said Monday.

Officials reported that 192 migrants were aboard one vessel and 135 on the other, Spanish news broadcaster EFE reported.

The passengers were identified as nationals of Gambia, Senegal, Ghana, Mali, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. Among them were 24 women, eight children, and 295 men.

Upon arrival at El Hierro’s port, all migrants underwent medical checks. Authorities said one woman was transferred to a hospital, while the rest were taken to the island’s Temporary Foreigners Detention Centre (CIE).

According to Interior Ministry figures covering January 1 to November 15, 2025, arrivals to the Canary Islands fell sharply, with 14,690 irregular migrants recorded in that period, a 63% decrease compared with the same period in 2024.

Despite the decline, the archipelago remains Spain’s primary destination for Atlantic migration routes.

Conversely, the Balearic Islands have seen a significant rise in irregular arrivals, with 6,683 migrants reaching the region so far this year, a 41.7% increase compared with 2024.

Spanish authorities say improved maritime surveillance in the Atlantic and shifting smuggling patterns may be contributing to the redistribution of migration flows between Spain’s island regions.