Largest migrant boat to date arrives in Gran Canaria with 251 people onboard
A cayuco carrying 251 people, including around 100 possible minors, was intercepted in the early hours of Sunday morning some 429 kilometres south of Gran Canaria and later escorted to Arguineguín harbour in Mogán.
Authorities have confirmed that this is the largest boat to reach the island to date.
According to the Canary Islands Emergency Coordination Centre (CECOES), the vessel was carrying 227 men, 24 women, and at least two babies. Of these, 100 of the men and 10 of the women are thought to be minors.
Upon arrival, 17 passengers required hospital treatment for various medical conditions, mainly dehydration. The rest were assisted at the port by health workers and volunteers from the Red Cross.
Record numbers
The Red Cross confirmed that this boat surpasses the 231 people who arrived on another large vessel in October 2024, making it the biggest to ever reach Gran Canaria. However, it still falls short of the 320 migrants who landed in El Hierro in October 2023, the largest single arrival recorded in the Canary Islands.
This new arrival also highlights the ongoing humanitarian challenge: the number of possible minors aboard this cayuco is three times higher than the group of 30 young asylum seekers transferred to mainland Spain earlier this month under a Supreme Court ruling.
Additional rescue
On the same day, Maritime Rescue also intercepted a smaller boat carrying seven men of North African origin around 24 nautical miles south-southeast of Gran Canaria. The group, reported to be in generally good health, was also taken to Arguineguín harbour.
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