Four new vessels have arrived The iron so far today. The last of them has been sighted near the port of La Restinga shortly before three in the afternoon and carries 168 people on board. It is one of the largest that have arrived during the current migratory wave towards Meridiano Island, the smallest of the Canary archipelago.
The first of the canoes made landfall at 3:43 and, at 6:50, the Salvamar Adhara had to set off to help another cayuco that was four miles from the port of La Restinga. There were 103 people traveling in the first and 112 in the second. Late in the morning, a third boat arrived with 62 immigrants on board. They have been attended to by the Red Crosswithout any needing to receive urgent medical help.
Therefore, in the last 24 hours, five cayucos have arrived on the Canary Island (one yesterday at five in the afternoon and four during the early hours of the morning and today) with more than 550 people. The situation in Senegal and in the Sub-Saharan Africa has caused, over the last week, El Hierro to have witnessed the arrival of some 1,600 migrants.
Both from the Cabildo, chaired by Alpidio Armaslike the island’s senator, Javier Armas, have been demanding from the Government in recent days more means and resources to help people who arrive through this type of boat. The island, with barely 11,000 inhabitants, does not have the logistical capacity to assist these people. More than 300 of them were transferred to Tenerife yesterday.
The most complicated situation continues to occur with unaccompanied minors who arrive on the island, and who experience slower processes for their referral. Currently there are about 200 on the island, although the Canarian Government has committed this Thursday through its vice president Manuel Dominguez (PP) to establish a limit of 40 on the island. Two minors were traveling in the canoe that arrived yesterday Thursday at the port of La Restinga, as well as seven women.