Small boat arrivals fall by 53% in the Canary Islands

The arrival of pateras (small boats containing migrants) to the Canaries has fallen by over 50% in the year so far. 

26,758 migrants arrived on Canarian shores in small boats in the first eight and a half months of 2024, but this year has seen just 12,487 – a drop of over 53%.

The Canarian figures are the most notable of a general drop of 31% in irregular migration to Spain this year. figures cover sea and land entries to

The chief of the Guardia Civíl’s Border Command, Manuel Navarrete, recently claimed that agreements and close collaboration with source countries, such as Mauretania, Senegal and Gambia, was the main reason for the fall in arrivals.

Navarette said that inequality, population growth, political violence and climate crises were the main drivers behind irregular migration and pointed out that remittances from the diaspora were an important element of the economy in many African countries, reaching almost 20% of GDP in some countries.

He concluded “Co-operation with countries of origin and transit is vital because the effectiveness of these measures has been proven.”