(Reuters) The number of migrants from West Africa who braved the sea in fragile boats to reach Spain’s Canary Islands jumped more than 1,000% in January from a year ago, data released by the country’s interior ministry on Thursday showed.
A total of 7,270 irregular migrants reached the archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean between Jan. 1 and Jan. 31, a nearly 13-fold increase from the 566 in the same month in 2023, the ministry said.
The chain of islands off Africa’s northwestern coast, one of Spain’s most popular tourist destinations, was the entry point for 39,910 migrants last year, an all-time record.
