Over 17,000 migrants have illegally reached the Canary Islands during this year, the European Union Protection Border Agency, Frontex has revealed.

In addition, Frontex, in its latest report, stressed that only in October, up to 5,300 migrants attempted to enter Europe illegally, through Canary Islands routes. The current situation has forced Spains government to undertake immediate action in order to bring the problem under control.

Frontexs figures reveal that the number of migrants marked a ten times monthly increase compared to the same month, last year, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

During the first ten months of 2020, a total of 11,400 migrants attempted to reach the Canary Islands unlawfully. The majority of migrants were nationals from sub-Saharan countries.

The influx of migrants is considered the largest one, since 2006, when more than 30,000 persons sought asylum in the Canary Islands.

According to Spains Ministry of Interior figures, the increase in the number of migrants is mainly triggered by the COVID-19 restrictions imposed at cities of Ceuta and Melilla, which have a significant number of arrivals. According to the ministry, there have been registered 1,500 crossings through these cities, compared with about 5,000 last year.

Coast guards at the Canary Islands announced that more than 700 migrants in small boats were rescued on Saturday.

Due to the current situation on the Canary Islands, hundreds of demonstrators marched in the streets of Gran Canaria, before the Arguineguin dock in Mogan town, where about 2,000 migrants are currently living in tents in bad conditions, which have been considered inhumane and degrading.

According to Aid groups, nearly 4,000 migrants are currently in hotels due to the lack of refugee reception centres. In this regard, the Federation of Hospitality and Tourism Enterprises of Gran Canaria on Saturday urged the government to act so the hotels could be used for tourists again.

The regional policy minister of Spain, on Friday, stressed that the authorities would expand naval patrols around the Canary Islands and open more migrant centres as a response to the increasing number of arrivals.

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Number of Illegal Migrants Reaching Canary Islands on the Rise Amid COVID-19 - SchengenVisaInfo.com