Mild weather brings surge in migrant crossings to Spain's Canary Islands

Migrants are treated by Red Cross volunteers after disembarking from a Spanish coast guard vessel at the port of Arguineguin, on the island of Gran Canaria, Spain, August 28, 2024. REUTERS/Borja Suarez/File Photo

MADRID (Reuters) - Calm seas and gentle winds associated with the late summer in the Atlantic Ocean off Western Africa has prompted a renewed surge of migrants heading to the Canary Islands, local authorities said on Thursday.

Spain intercepted four boats carrying 222 migrants early on Thursday, in addition to the 13 vessels with 780 migrants that had already reached the islands this week, the Spanish maritime rescue services said on the platform X.