854 migrants rescued from seven boats off El Hierro in a single day

A major rescue operation off El Hierro

Spain's maritime rescue service Salvamento Marítimo assisted 854 migrants from early Friday morning aboard seven small open motor fishing vessels in the waters off the Canary island of El Hierro. All the boats were escorted to the port of La Restinga in the municipality of El Pinar, where the arrivals received medical assistance. Euronews reported the news.

Timeline of arrivals

Three service vessels took part in the operation — Salvamar Navia, Diphda and Mizar. The first intervention took place four miles from the port of La Restinga: the first boat, escorted by Salvamar Navia, docked at around one in the morning with 134 people on board. Arrivals then continued at intervals: at 4:45 a boat with 174 people arrived, and 15 minutes later another with 166 migrants. The largest vessel of the day came in at 8:30 with 235 people on board; then at around 9:00, 54 people disembarked, at about 10:15 another 39, and the last boat arrived at 12:30 with 52 people.

Who was rescued and their state of health

According to the health and emergency services, the seven vessels carried people of sub-Saharan African origin — mostly men, but there were also women and minors among the passengers. The points of departure and the specific countries of origin have not yet been established. Some of the rescued required hospital treatment; nine people remain in the Nuestra Señora de los Reyes hospital — they arrived on El Hierro on different vessels in previous days with various health problems.

Relieving the island and next steps

Of those brought ashore, 350 people were transferred to Tenerife on the scheduled morning ferry; the authorities planned to transfer another 350 on the daytime crossing to ease the burden on El Hierro's reception facilities. After initial medical and humanitarian assistance, the migrants were moved to the Temporary Foreign Nationals Reception Centre (CATE) in San Andrés in the municipality of Valverde, where the NGO Corazón Naranja-Ebrima Sonko is providing them with support; they remain under police control until they are transferred to other reception centres outside El Hierro. Taking part in the port operation were the Red Cross emergency response unit (ERIE), the Canary Islands Emergency Service (SUC), port security, the Civil Guard and the National Police.

Arrivals on other islands as well

Migratory arrivals along the Canary route were also recorded on other islands of the archipelago during the same 24 hours. At around 22:00 on Thursday, Salvamento Marítimo landed people rescued at sea in Arguineguín, in the south of Gran Canaria — their number has not yet been confirmed. On Lanzarote, between 21:00 on Thursday and 8:30 on Friday, two groups arrived: 27 men of North African origin on a small boat, and another 61 people.