The strong arrival of cayucos in the Canary Islands in recent months and especially in the last two weeks is pushing the peninsula’s absorption resources to the limit. More than 5,000 people have landed on the islands since October 1, a figure that has forced the central government to speed up transfers to the peninsula to prevent a collapse of the archipelago. Despite the care taken in resolving situations such as those already experienced in the past, when thousands of migrants slept on a dock or in improvised ships, the volume is so intense that, considering that there is little room for maneuver Days like last Friday, when more than 1,000 people disembarked within a few hours. The exodus of the Senegalese exceeds all predictions.
At the start of this week, occupancy in the peninsula’s centers was around 80% of the nearly 4,500 available beds, according to sources familiar with the state system. The islands, where around 3,700 migrants are accommodated, are now at 90%. The Ministry of Integration, Social Security and Migration claims that the situation is under control, that occupancy in the centers of the peninsula remains at 60% and that it is able to open 1,000 new places immediately.
Since the outbreak of war in Ukraine in March 2022, when Spain welcomed tens of thousands of refugees, the system has become much more diverse. In this scenario, a state of emergency was declared, a measure that made it possible to urgently use financial means and resources to ensure their reception. According to the sources consulted, Migrations is currently reluctant to apply this formula. In any case, this Thursday José Luis Escrivá’s department had a marathon meeting to find solutions for the impending arrivals. Despite the versatility, “it is difficult to quickly increase the capacity of the system,” emphasize sources dedicated to migrant care.
The humanitarian reception network offers minimal assistance to new arrivals. Among other things, it prevents people who arrive in very precarious situations without money or family from ending up on the streets. It also gives them a chance to get some rest, buy time, and get a little financial help in deciding the next steps of their journey. These centers accommodate vulnerable groups of people, including single men without resources, but also particularly vulnerable people such as families or single women. As a rule, the stay does not last longer than three months. This period was shortened to one month due to the intensity of the landings on the islands. So far this year, more than 20,000 people have arrived in the archipelago, more than 50% more than last year. Although to a lesser extent, the upward trend also continues on the peninsula and the Balearic Islands.
The situation in the Canary Islands is very different from that of 2020, when the migration route from African coasts was greatly reactivated amid the pandemic. Although arrival numbers are absolutely certain to be exceeded, one of the key differences in this scenario is that the government is transferring migrants to the peninsula quickly and without interruption. Sometimes within a few days.
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Newcomers don’t spend much time on the islands. Unlike the 2020 crisis, the central government is quickly moving it to the peninsula to prevent the collapse of the Canary Islands system. Alvaro Garcia
Although arrival numbers are absolutely certain to be exceeded, one of the key differences in this scenario is that the government is transferring migrants to the peninsula quickly and without interruption. Sometimes within a few days.Álvaro García
In any case, the Canary Islands reception network has an unprecedented capacity. After the 2020 crisis, macro camps and centers were set up and the number of beds grew exponentially, increasing from just three hundred places to more than 3,500 currently, which can more than double if necessary. Alvaro Garcia
The vast majority of cayucos arriving in the Canary Islands occur on the island of El Hierro and are then taken to Tenerife, where there are two reception centers. In these images, young Senegalese people are chatting in the Las Canteras camp in the municipality of La Laguna.Álvaro García
The exodus of young people from Senegal amid the democratic retreat has led to arrivals in the Canary Islands. There have been 20,000 landings so far this year, 5,000 in these first days of September alone. Alvaro Garcia
The express bypasses have actually relieved pressure on the islands, but authorities are finding that more people are arriving than they can relocate to other provinces. And the second derivation: that the absorption resources on the peninsula are finite. The main challenge is the unpredictability of the coming months, which historically see the highest number of arrivals due to good sea conditions. José Sánchez Espinosa, director of social inclusion at the Red Cross, the main organization responsible for receiving migrants, explains that the absolute figures do not worry them so much, although they have already exceeded those of last year. “The key is to concentrate arrivals in short periods of time. From June to now we have served three times as many people as last year and that is worrying considering that the peak arrival season is almost upon us. The scenario is very unpredictable, but we are already preparing for an emergency situation,” he emphasizes.
These transfers caused tension between the Migration Ministry and the Interior Ministry three years ago, but now, despite Fernando Grande-Marlaska’s reluctance, there are not many alternatives if the balance on the islands is to be maintained. While the lack of transparency regarding these derivations is once again evident, a quick overview shows how much effort is being made not to concentrate too many people on the islands. While more than 20,000 people have disembarked since January and almost 4,000 adults and more than 3,000 minors have remained in the archipelago, almost 13,000 migrants have left the Canary Islands en route to the peninsula.
Derivations
In statements to Efe, the government delegate to the Canary Islands, Anselmo Pestana, defended the references to the peninsula in a way that was unthinkable three years ago. Pestana has stated that this mechanism “works quite well,” despite the islands experiencing an unprecedented peak since the 2006 canoe crisis. “Today there are 3,000 [migrantes en Canarias]. It is likely that this number will be reduced again in the coming days and we could be around 1,000. This data is almost proof of cotton, of how the system works, that it is derived to the peninsula, that there is far from any conflict with Canarian society and that this entire cycle is a small boat from the start […] Until they get to the middle of the peninsula, it works reasonably well,” he added.
In any case, the Canary Islands reception network has an unprecedented capacity. After the 2020 crisis, macro camps and centers were set up and the number of beds grew exponentially from just three hundred places to currently over 3,500, which can more than double if necessary. The point is that Migrations does not advocate forcing the capacity of the system on the islands and has kept it at about half of its capacity: any week like the one we are experiencing can overwhelm the centers in a matter of days. The challenge now lies in managing beyond the port and the archipelago.
A group of migrants in front of the Las Canteras camp on Tenerife. Alvaro García
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