Spain´s Canary Islands see 283 migrants arrive in 1 day

Officials say 283 migrants arrived Friday in four boats to Spain´s Canary Islands, increasing pressure on authorities in the Atlantic archipelago as they respond to increasing numbers of such arrivals in recent weeks. Spain´s Maritime Rescue Service said 195 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were in one boat that made it to Tenerife island. Another boat carrying 61 migrants was intercepted near the island of Fuerteventura.

The Interior Ministry says that so far this year, more than 8,000 migrants have reached the Canary Islands, located more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) off the northwest African coast. The people who landed in the Canary Islands on Friday brought the number of migrants reaching Spain to more than 1,500 since Monday, most of them arriving to the Canary Islands, the private Spanish news agency Europa Press said.

Emergency tents set up by the Red Cross on the Gran Canaria island’s Arguineguin dock were accommodating some 1,300 migrants, the news agency said.