Calmer seas have triggered the increase in the number of migrants trying to reach the Canaries from Mauritania and Senegal in recent weeks, experts say.
And to avoid stepped up controls in the waters off the two African countries, human traffickers are sending boats further away from the coast
Like Lampedusa : How Spain s tiny El Hierro is struggling with migrant spike thelocal.es - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thelocal.es Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
LA RESTINGA, SPAIN A group of tired migrants struggled to pull themselves up onto the harbour of La Restinga, a fishing village on the tiny island of El Hierro in Spain’s Canary islands. Some collapsed from exhaustion and were aided by Red Cross staff. One was led away on a wheelchair as tourists ate at restaurant terraces just metres away.