Lanzarote is now the destination where most migrants on pateras arrive from the African mainland, according to Spain’s Interior Ministry.
Although the overall amount of migrants is falling, with the first four months of 2023 bringing less than half of last year’s total in the same time period, the preferences for Lanzarote and Fuerteventura have been notable, and the Cruz Roja estimate that over 50% of all arrivals are now arriving at Lanzarote.
Gran Canaria, which was the main destination last year, now receives fewer than a quarter of arrivals, and departures via the extremely risky southern route to Tenerife or El Hierro have virtually ceased.
The relatively short dash for Lanzarote and Fuerteventura is now mainly undertaken in inflatable Zodiac-style boats rather than the wooden cayuco fishing boats.
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