Nearly 1,500 migrants arrive in British tourist hotspot in single day

Published: 06:12 EST, 15 November 2026 | Updated: 06:18 EST, 15 November 2026 Almost 1,500 migrants arrived in the Canary Islands over the weekend as Spain's crisis continues to spiral. A total of 1,488 people travelling on 14 boats were rescued by the Spanish coastguards in the region, where thousands of Brits flock each year on holiday. It marked the highest number of migrants to have made the crossing on a single day in six years, when 1,461 people were rescued in waters off the islands in November 2020.A single boat rescued on Saturday was carrying some 240 people, including 12 women and 36 children, according to local authorities. Those rescued - most of whom were from Senegal, Gambia and Guinea Conakry - were taken to El Hierro, a small island which declared a state of emergency last week following a surge in migrant arrivals. Twelve boats arrived on the island, while one other was taken to Gran Canaria and a further vessel in Tenerife. The Atlantic route from West Africa to the Canary Islands is one of the world's deadliest migration crossings.Thousands attempt the journey each year in overcrowded boats, seeking to reach Spanish territory despite rough seas, strong currents and long distances. The Spanish Maritime Rescue Service is seen helping immigrants off a wooden boat near El Hierro in the Canary Islands on Saturday A total of 1,488 people travelling on 14 boats were rescued by the Spanish coastguards this weekend... a boat is pictured off the coast of El Hierro earlier this week Migrants are seen lined up overnight at the port of La Restinga, El Hierro, on Saturday Thousands of Britons flock to the Canary Islands on holiday every yearArrivals tend to pick up in the autumn months, when sea conditions along the route are generally calmer and more favourable for crossings.Spain's Territorial Policy Minister Angel Victor Torres is set to visit El Hierro on Sunday to discuss the surge in migrant arrivals. More than 5,000 illegal migrants have arrived on the island, home to approximately 12,000 people, this month alone. Maritime services in El Hierro said they rescued 3,261 migrants in the first six days of November, with regional authorities warning on Friday the numbers were 'absolutely unsustainable'.As of Monday, Spanish outlets reported that the figure was nearing 5,000 after ten more small boats carrying hundreds of people arrived on the island over the weekend.Earlier this week, a spokesman for the island's Unified Police Union said authorities were 'overwhelmed' and struggling to cope with the number of arrivals, warning, 'we are experiencing a situation similar to the one... in Ceuta, out of control and overwhelming.'Alpidio Armas, head of El Hierro's governing council, told Spanish television over the weekend: 'We are very concerned... by this sharp increase in arrivals.''This is precisely what has led us to declare an emergency in order to ensure a framework of cooperation with higher-level institutions.'At least nine migrants have died off Spain's Canary Islands, and a critically ill baby was airlifted to hospital upon arrival in recent weeks, while thousands of other people have been rescued.