Authorities on Spain’s El Hierro island have declared a social emergency after thousands of migrants arrived by boat in early November, overwhelming reception facilities and placing mounting pressure on local healthcare and rescue services.
Footage shows Spanish maritime rescue vessels escorting wooden boats packed with migrants towards the island’s docks. Emergency personnel help the arrivals ashore, while medical workers assist migrants, including children.
The island’s governing council declared the emergency on Friday after more than 8,000 people reportedly arrived over five weeks, including over 3,000 in the five days leading up to the declaration.
Local authorities have appealed to the Canary Islands regional government and Madrid for additional personnel, emergency resources and faster transfers to other islands, warning that existing facilities are struggling to cope with the influx.
The island council’s president, Alpidio Armas, said the growing number of arrivals had stretched reception centres, medical services and transport capacity, making it increasingly difficult to provide adequate assistance.
The pressure continued over the weekend, with more than 1,300 migrants reaching the Canary Islands aboard small boats on Saturday and Sunday, according to Spanish media reports.
El Hierro, home to around 11,400 residents, has become a key arrival point on the Atlantic migration route from West Africa to Europe, a perilous crossing that has claimed thousands of lives in recent years.
Source: Viory
