Authorities on Spain’s El Hierro island have declared an emergency and asked the national government for help after more than 3,300 migrants and refugees arrived by boat since the start of November, Al Jazeera reports.

Local authorities said the arrivals came aboard about 30 boats. The Canary Islands outpost has roughly 11,400 residents.

Alpidio Armas, head of El Hierro’s governing council, told Spanish television on Saturday that the sharp increase had prompted the declaration to establish a framework for cooperation with higher levels of government.

Officials are seeking temporary accommodation for those arriving. Armas described conditions at the island’s hospital as “undesirable”.

The pressure extends across the Canary Islands. Regional leader Fernando Clavijo described the situation as “absolutely unsustainable” on Friday, according to Reuters, as cited by Al Jazeera. He said buses had been diverted to migration operations and medical personnel brought in from other islands.

Maritime rescue services rescued 3,261 migrants and refugees off the archipelago during the first six days of November. That regional rescue figure is separate from the arrival total reported by El Hierro’s authorities.

The Atlantic crossing from West Africa to the Canary Islands is one of the world’s deadliest migration routes. Two people were found dead aboard a boat heading to the islands this week, while five others were believed to have died during the journey, AFP reported, citing survivors.

The surge follows a decline earlier in the year. Spain’s Interior Ministry recorded 13,327 irregular sea arrivals between January and October, down 5.5 per cent from the same period a year earlier. More than 46,000 arrivals were recorded in 2024.

Sources