742 migrants have arrived to El Hierro, Tenerife, and Gran Canaria in the last 24 hours, travelling aboard ten cayucos. The most recent rescue operation took place 60 kilometres from El Hierro, involving the Sasemar 102 reconnaissance plane and the Salvamar Ácrux rescue boat.
This operation successfully rescued 86 people, who are now being transported to the southern port of La Restinga on El Hierro.
El Hierro also witnessed significant activity on its radar, with the SIVE system of the Guardia Civil detecting three more cayucos at around 6:43pm last night. The boats, carrying a total of 222 people, were located between five and seven kilometres south of La Restinga. Two of these vessels were escorted to port by the Salvamar Adhara, while the third, carrying 74 migrants of sub-Saharan origin, was rescued by the same crew.
In Gran Canaria, the Salvamar Macondo responded to a cayuco detected 3.7 kilometres south of the island. This boat carried 70 people, including 67 men, two women, and one minor.
Meanwhile, in Tenerife, a cayuco arrived independently at the port of Los Cristianos in the early hours of the morning, with 57 sub-Saharan migrants on board, 12 of whom were minors. They reached the dock at 4:45am. Earlier in the day, another vessel was intercepted near Punta Rasca, also in southern Tenerife, carrying 91 people, including an undetermined number of women and children. The Salvamar Adhara and Salvamar Alpheratz collaborated in this operation to bring the occupants safely ashore.
Additionally, in the waters near El Hierro, a precarious boat carrying 46 people, including four women, was rescued. Earlier in the day, two more cayucos had reached El Hierro, carrying 170 individuals in total—89 on one boat and 81 on another.
These events highlight the ongoing humanitarian and logistical challenges faced by authorities as the Canary Islands continue to be a key point of arrival for migrants attempting to reach European shores.
