Canary Islands: Migration Flow From Morocco Increases by 50% in May

Rabat – The migratory flow from Morocco to the Canary Islands continues to generate three times more irregular arrivals than those recorded from Algeria, according to data from the Spanish Ministry of Interior.

Europa Press quoted the Spanish Ministry as stressing that the number of migrants from Morocco to the Canary Islands has increased by 50% this year, with 8,268 arrivals in 181 boats by May 2022.

The number is three times higher than the figures recorded from Algeria to the Balearic Islands and other points of the Peninsula, which has been reduced by 35% by recording 2,824 arrivals in 274 boats in the first five months of 2022, reported the Spanish news website.

Since March, when Morocco and Spain announced a new phase in their diplomatic ties, arrivals to the Canary Islands have increased monthly, recording 431 in March, 697 in April and 1,644 in May.

Europa Press highlighted that these figures are still far from those recorded by sea to the Balearic Islands and peninsula from Algeria, with 29 arrivals in March, 551 in April, and 609 in May.

The first five months of 2022 saw a 15.8% growth in irregular arrivals to Spain, reaching 12,531 arrivals. Sources at the Spanish Interior Ministry highlighted that the pace of entries slows down in each biweekly update, going from an increase of 29% in the first half of April to 15.8% in the second half of May.

Regarding arrivals to the Canary Islands, the ministry said recent data indicate that migration to the Islands has gone from a peak of 134% in the second half of February to an increase of 50% at the end of May.

Migratory flows are due to several factors, the main ones being emerging challenges in many African countries, political instability, the COVID pandemic, and the ramifications of the Ukrainian war on food supply.

According to data from the Spanish police, 40% of irregular migrants reached the Spanish coasts from Morocco in 2021, 30% came from Algeria and the remaining 30% was attributed to sub-Saharan countries.

“Neither Morocco nor Algeria nor anyone else has a button to pull or completely stop the flow of boats,” Spain’s Ministry of Interior noted, emphasizing that cooperation with the two countries has prevented 40% of irregular migration attempts.