Record number of African migrants land in Spain's Canary Islands

Spain said on Sunday that nearly 32,000 people migrants from west Africa have arrived so far this year on its Canary Islands, setting a new record. Regional authorities said 31,933 people have reached the archipelago, compared to the 31,678 that arrived during the 2006 migration crisis. Although there are also boats from the Gambia, Mauritania, Morocco, and the Western Sahara, most of those arriving this year are young people from Senegal looking for better opportunities in Europe. The boats usually take a longer route far from the coast to avoid border controls and many of them do not make it. With the uptick in migrants arriving on the islands, Spain Interior minister travelled to the Senegalese capital, Dakar, last week to press the government to do more to stop boats from leaving.