389 migrants rescued near the Canary Islands

Hundreds of migrants were rescued off the coast off the Canary Islands on Monday. 

Most of the 389 migrants were men, but there were also 46 women and five minors according to local authorities. 

Five of the rescued boats were heading to Lanzarote, while two were heading to the island of El Hierro. 

Emergency services said the migrants were transported to the Spanish ports of Los Cristianos after being rescued by sea and air crews.

More than 43,000 migrants arrived to the Canary Islands in 2024, a record-breaking figure. 

Last year, European politics took a turn to the right – particularly after EU elections in June.  

As such, many EU member states have started to update their migration policies, just as migration also comes at the top of the European Council’s agenda. 

In a letter to the EU member states, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen proposed speeding up the return of asylum seekers and opening detention centres in third countries, following the precedent set by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s agreement with Albania. 

Meanwhile, the Spanish government announced last year the opening of an emergency reception centre at Ciudad Real airport to deal with asylum requests from irregular arrivals.