by A.P.
In the last month alone, 8,000 migrants have arrived from Africa
The Canary Islands, which belong to Spain, are bearing the brunt of a migrant wave that is ten times larger this year than last year. In the last month alone, 8,000 migrants have arrived from Africa. Now, Madrid is under pressure to negotiate the issue of illegal migration with Morocco and other African states but refuses to move the migrants to mainland Spain.
The Canary Islands are a popular tourist destination, even during the pandemic. The disease spread much more slowly on the islands than in the rest of Spain, which was hit hard by the first and second waves of coronavirus.
In recent weeks, however, migrants have been filling accommodation capacity instead of tourists, resulting in hotels and apartments hosting about 4,000 migrants. The owners of the lodgings have been calling for the expulsion of the migrants from the islands for two weeks.
This year, almost 19,000 migrants arrived in the Canary Islands, which is ten times more than last year, with half of them Moroccans.