Spain rescues 32 migrants off coast of Canary Islands

Spain’s maritime rescue service assisted migrants arriving off Gran Canaria and Lanzarote as the country opens applications for an extraordinary regularization program. The policy comes as migration continues to drive economic growth and labor market expansion in Spain.

Reuters

22 April 2026 at 07:12:59

Spain rescues 32 migrants off coast of Canary Islands

Migrants wait to be attended to after disembarking from a Spanish coast guard vessel at the port of Arguineguin, on the island of Gran Canaria, Spain, April 21, 2026.

Borja Suarez/Reuters

Spain’s maritime rescue service helped 12 migrants off the coast of Gran Canaria on Tuesday overnight (April 21), the Red Cross told Reuters.

After arriving at the port of Arguineguín, the migrants were received by Red Cross personnel, who provided medical assistance.

Another boat carrying 20 migrants arrived in the Lanzarote island on Tuesday,.

The arrivals coincide with the first week of the opening of in‑person application period for an extraordinary mass regularization of migrants.

The amnesty is a cornerstone of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s plan to harness the economic benefits of migration to compensate for Spain's ageing population, which bucks a trend by other European governments to tighten migration as support for far‑right parties rises.

Foreign arrivals in Spain have risen to 1 million a year from around 300,000 a year over the past decade. Migrants have filled three of every four new jobs created since 2019 and have accounted for 47% of economic growth since 2022, according to think tank Funcas.

-Production: Borja Suarez, Elena Rodriguez, Nina Lopez/Reuters