More than 800 migrants were cramped on to the Arguineguín pier this Monday encamped in the southwest of Gran Canaria, the highest number yet since the facility was installed more than a month ago due to a lack of centres in which to accomodate and process them.

On Monday sources close to the Delegation of the Government of the Canary Islands reported that the Government of Spain continues to work to refer migrants, as soon as possible, to adequate centres for their accommodation.

However, they have indicated that due to the coronavirus pandemic,  it is necessary for their transfer to obtain the results of the initial PCR tests that are carried out on their arrival to the islands, to rule out any potential that they could have covid-19.

The continuous arrival of migrants in boats, pateras, cayucos or even inflatable ribs over the last two weeks has once again saturated the camp attended to primarily by Red Cross personnel on the Arguineguín dockside, located in the near empty tourist municipality of Mogán and a base for the Salvamiento Maritimo, Maritime Rescue boats, in charge of migrant rescues and transfering them ashore.

As of this Monday 1,533 African migrants had arrived on the shores of The Canary Islands in just one week. 52 vessels in all, and most of the people they carried were transferred to the Arguineguín dock. More than 800 migrants encamped in the port of Argeuineguín means more than half of all arrivals have to be processed.

The Canary Islands officially have provision for 3,400 places available for the reception of migrants -all of them and more currently filled-, according to data provided by the Government Delegation.

Editor: WTAF? We’ve known for months that the people movers were switching routes, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees warned us and tried to help prepare, we were arrogant and short sighted and now we have something rather too close to a humanitarian crisis playing out on our doorsteps.

The de facto situation is that nobody has done anything that would stop the flow of migrants, so now we need to deal with it, all talk of “reversing” the situation is useless, and petty, it is what it is.  Everyone needs to grow the fuck and help to make sure that people don’t die while we try to figure out how to help to improve this situation.  Nobody really cares about opinions of the reality, the only thing that matters is how can we help people.

In the meantime, this publication applauds all hotels and other accomodations who have opend their doors to help ensure humanitarian treatment of poverty stricken migrants.  This is not only the right thing to have done, but it shows great accumen in the face of otherwise insurmountable odds.  Well done, you are some of the best of us.

Booking.com