(Reuters) More than 2,000 African migrants were stranded in a dockside camp on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria on Tuesday after a wave of arrivals overwhelmed local authorities’ capacity to house them.
“It’s a disaster. There’s a huge spike in arrivals and the situation is very complicated,” said Cristina Ruiz, a spokeswoman for the national government on the islands.
Across the Canary Islands archipelago, more than 2,600 people arrived in 73 boats between Saturday and Monday, she said, adding that the 1,461 who arrived on Saturday marked a new daily record.
Seeking relief from the sun blazing down on the port of Arguineguin in the south of Gran Canaria, some of the migrants fashioned shelters out of Red Cross blankets propped up by plastic fencing.
