(AP) More than 400 migrants arrived by sea in Spain’s Canary Islands over a 24-hour period, emergency services said on Thursday, as the Spanish government discussed with Algerian officials ways of fighting illegal migration from North Africa to Europe.
Most of the migrants came from sub-Saharan Africa but they also included at least eight from Bangladesh.
The migrants were on seven boats approaching the archipelago off northwest Africa, authorities said.
Migrant arrivals in the Canary Islands have surged this year, according to Spain’s Interior Ministry. Up until Oct. 31, 17,000 migrants reached the archipelago — up 44% over the same period last year.
Overall, the number of migrants reaching Spain by sea this year has grown by 24%, to more than 32,700.
