Spain is currently suffering a massive increase in illegal immigration, with the majority of migrants arriving on the Canary Islands far off the coast before being transported to mainland Spain in large waves. Video of the airport in Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, shows hundreds of migrants waiting to board planes.
Spanish journalist Rubén Pulido released a video showing the chaos at the Tenerife Airport in the Canary Islands.
“It happened today, at Tenerife airport. The government is sending hundreds of illegal immigrants by plane from the Spanish islands to the country’s capital. From there, they will be distributed by region and soon they will be dispersed all over,” he wrote.
He continued, writing: “Our problem is your problem. This year, more than 70,000 illegal immigrants are expected to arrive in the Canary Islands. The government is creating a pull factor without historical precedent and Spain is becoming the biggest gateway for illegal immigration in Europe.”
The left-wing Spanish government, ruled by social Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has seen 22,304 migrants arrive in the Canary Islands between Jan. 1 and Aug. 15 of this year, compared to 9,864 last year during the same period. That is a 126 percent increase.
Spain as a whole has also seen a drastic uptick in numbers, going from 18,745 during the first six months last year, to 31,155, representing an over 60 percent increase. Due to improving conditions on the ocean, these numbers are expected to surge, with the Canaries alone attracting up to 70,000 migrants this year, which would shatter last year’s record of 39,910 arrivals.
Spain’s socialist leader, Sánchez, is under pressure and has even headed to the three West African countries, Mauritania, Gambia and Senegal, just this week.
Mauritania has become the main departure point for migrants in recent months, with 200,000 refugees in the country, many who want to head to Europe, who are victims of instability in the Sahel region, including many Malians. Sánchez is working to prevent these departures but it is unclear how effective his visit to Africa will be or what he can offer.
The president of the Canary Islands regional government, Fernando Clavijo, targeted the EU in a new statement, saying the EU must do more “so that the Canaries do not have to bear all the migratory pressure on Europe alone,” because these migrants “are arriving in Europe, in Spain, and not only in the Canaries.”
