MADRID, Nov 2 (Reuters) – At least seven migrants died off Spain’s Canary Islands while more than 380 people were rescued on Monday, the country’s maritime rescue services said.
Two deceased people were found aboard a migrant boat when the coast guard rescued 132 people on Monday, 150 km (94 miles) off Lanzarote. During the same journey, five other migrants had died and been thrown into the sea, authorities added.
Another 250 migrants were rescued by coast guard boats off Lanzarote and the Canary Island of El Hierro earlier on Monday, authorities said. On Sunday, 107 migrants were rescued off El Hierro, according to authorities.
“The worst forecasts are coming true. The Atlantic route is once again claiming lives, this time off the coast of Lanzarote. Behind each one is a life, a story, and a family,” Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo said in a message on X.
The Atlantic route from West Africa to the Canary Islands is one of the world’s deadliest migration crossings. Thousands of migrants attempt the journey each year in overcrowded boats, seeking to reach Spanish territory despite rough seas, strong currents and long distances.
Arrivals tend to pick up in the autumn months, when sea conditions along the route are generally calmer and more favorable for crossings.
Migrant arrivals have declined so far this year compared with the same period in 2025, but crossings increased sharply in October, putting additional pressure on reception and emergency services on some of the Canary Islands, particularly the smaller and less densely populated ones.
Migrant arrivals in the archipelago have fallen 18% year on year to 11,527 people, according to the office of the Spanish government’s representative in the Canary Islands.
(Reporting by Graham Keeley, Mireia Merino and Miguel Gutierrez; Editing by Paul Simao)
