More than 300 migrants arrive in Gran Canaria by boat in less than 24 hours

euronews (in English)

Spain's Interior Ministry says the number of migrants making the dangerous sea crossing from Africa to the Canary Islands jumped by 160% between January and July compared to the same period last year.

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00:00Four boats carrying more than 300 migrants have docked at the Spanish island of Gran

00:07Canaria in less than 24 hours.

00:10One of the vessels, a wooden boat carrying 64 people, arrived at the island unassisted.

00:17Another of the boats was escorted to port by the Maritime Safety and Rescue Society

00:21after being spotted around 15 kilometers southeast of the archipelago.

00:27That boat was carrying 145 people, all of sub-Saharan African origin.

00:33Spain's Interior Ministry said that the number of migrants arriving by sea to the Canary

00:37Islands jumped by 160 percent between January and July compared to the same period last

00:43year.

00:44The route from Africa to the Canary Islands, which are located off Morocco's southern

00:48coast, is the fastest-growing migration route to Europe.

00:53The European Border Control Agency Frontex says irregular crossings are up 303 percent

00:59from January to May compared to a year ago.

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