El Hierro declares emergency after more than 3300 migrants arrive

Authorities on El Hierro, one of Spain's Canary Islands, have declared an emergency following a sharp rise in migrant and refugee arrivals. Al Jazeera, The Straits Times, and Around Prague all report that local officials requested assistance from the Spanish government in Madrid. More than 3,300 people have arrived on boats since the start of November, according to Al Jazeera. [1][2][3]

Alpidio Armas, the head of the governing council for El Hierro, told Spanish television on Saturday that officials are very concerned by the increase. Al Jazeera reported that Armas said the emergency declaration aims to ensure a framework of cooperation with higher-level institutions. Teneriffa News had reported earlier that Armas called on other Canary Islands for support. [1][5]

The arrivals follow an earlier incident reported by A News, which stated that more than 1,000 migrants were brought ashore in the Canary Islands overnight, leaving one person dead. The island of El Hierro serves as one of the main European entry points for migrants and refugees travelling from West Africa, Al Jazeera reported. [1][6]

El Hierro is the southernmost and westernmost island of the Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast. It has a population of 11,659 based on 2023 figures. With a land area of 268.51 square kilometres, its capital city is Valverde, and it is the second-smallest of the eight inhabited Canary Islands. [7]