Spain airlifts migrants from Canary Islands to mainland

The Spanish government is chartering at least one flight daily from the Canary Islands to the mainland to transport around 200 migrants, primarily to Madrid-Barajas airport, according to ABC newspaper. Fernando Clavijo, president of the Canary Islands, has again requested a coordination meeting with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez due to rising arrivals by boat.

## One plane a day and about 200 migrants per flight

Migrant transfers from the Canary Islands to the mainland are conducted by air with a frequency that, according to **ABC**, reaches at least one plane every day. Each aircraft would be dropping off around **200 migrants** at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport.

The flights are charters operated by airlines such as **Iberia**, **Air Europa**, or **Privilege**. The main destination is Madrid, although transfers have also been scheduled to other cities, including **Seville** and **Valencia**.

## Canary Islands demand coordination meeting

Fernando Clavijo, president of the Canary Islands, has again demanded a coordination meeting with Prime Minister **Pedro Sánchez** to address the increase in migrant arrivals by boat and its impact on the islands. Pressure is concentrated in territories like **El Hierro** and **Lanzarote**.

The data used by the Canary Islands government to justify this request includes more than **6,000** boat arrivals in October alone. This figure indicates the pace of landings and the burden borne by the smaller islands.

## Impact of transfer to the mainland

Aerial diversion relieves some pressure on Canary Islands reception resources but shifts the problem to arrival points. Madrid-Barajas thus becomes the main gateway for these transfers, involving the volume of receiving about **200 people** a day.

The information comes from **ABC**, which estimates at least one daily chartered flight. These are organized government transfers, not direct irregular arrivals to the mainland.