Nine pateras (boats carrying irregular migrants) carrying over 400 people arrived on Lanzarote yesterday, one of them putting to shore at Playa de La Garita in Arrieta without having been intercepted or escorted by Maritime Rescue.
The calm September conditions often mean an increase in arrivals, and this is the busiest day on Lanzarote for several months. The large amount of arrivals has meant that extra tents have had to be installed at the Temporary Attention Centre for Foreigners at Puerto Naos, Arrecife, where migrants are initially processed.
The arrivals come at a time when the Canarian Government is involved in a serious dispute with the Spanish state concerning the responsibility for underage migrants.