More than 18,000 migrants have arrived in the Canary Islands this year, which is almost twelve times more than last year. Recently, the fact that the authorities let at least 2,000 newcomers live in tents in an improvised camp in the docks of the port of Arguineguín in the south of the island of Gran Canaria caused a great stir.
–
“We are facing a human tragedy and none of us can and must not look away,” Reuters quoted Defense Minister Margarita Robles as saying to RTVE. Her resort has already turned a disused military warehouse on the islands into a camp for 800 people.
–
Minister Escrivá said that not only the army but also the private owners would hand over their real estate and land intended for transformation into hostels or the establishment of camps to the government. 84 million euros (2.2 billion crowns) from European funds will be used for financing.
–
The Canary Islands are located about 100 kilometers from the coast of Africa. They have been struggling with migration to a greater extent since 1994. The largest number of migrants was recorded in the archipelago in 2006, when 31,678 people in 515 ships arrived on its shores. This year, the number of immigrants has increased, among other things, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
—
