Spanish island declares social emergency following the arrival of 8,000 migrants in five weeks

The Cabildo of El Hierro, an island in the Canary Islands archipelago, has declared a social emergency following the arrival of more than 8,000 migrants over the course of five weeks, and has requested additional resources from Spain’s regional and national governments, according to national media.

The island, which has a population of approximately 12,000, has reportedly received more than 3,300 people since the beginning of November, arriving in about 30 makeshift vessels.

"More people are arriving than we are able to transfer to Tenerife and Gran Canaria," stated Alpidio Armas, president of the Cabildo, to the public broadcaster RTVE. The decree aims to ensure institutional collaboration and access to budgetary resources, while also requesting additional personnel for maritime rescue services, healthcare, security forces, the Red Cross, and NGOs.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has convened a meeting of the Interministerial Commission on Immigration for November 10 at the Moncloa Palace, with the participation of the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo.

ℹ️ Content Notice: This text is an English translation and factual adaptation of news events, edited for clarity, neutrality and objective reporting.
Source of information: Global News Agencies including REUTERS / TASS / AFP / ANADOLU / INT.RU / Al Jazeera / CNN