When a migrant lands in the Canary Islands and asserts they are underage without documents or identifiable signs, authorities must verify those claims. One method historically used is a bone-age assessment, which estimates a person’s age based on skeletal condition. Forensic doctors carry out these evaluations, yet a surge in cayucos reaching the archipelago since early August has stretched their capacity. Yesterday, island president Fernando Clavijo warned that 1,500 youths were expected ashore from the port of La Restinga. These youths await confirmation of their age, a delay that compels the autonomous community to house them in reception centers while delaying enrollment in schools and integration programs.
Clavijo noted that the age-estimation process has been slowed to four to five months because the services were overwhelmed and the necessary paperwork had to gain official approval. Beyond the medical assessment, prosecutors must render the final decision. If the assessment indicates the individual is under 18, child-protection services take over; if adulthood is proven, the case is treated as that of an irregular migrant with a higher likelihood of repatriation.
The flow of boats continued the day before. Marine Rescue teams responded to seven vessels near Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and El Hierro. At 2:20 a.m., a sighting reported 42 men traveling from Dakhla to Lanzarote. Simultaneously, Salvamar Adhara sought 56 more migrants bound for El Hierro. Early on, a merchant vessel found a boat with 69 people near Fuerteventura. La Restinga recovered two more cayucos carrying 316 people, including a pregnant woman. Another craft, 28 kilometers from Lobos, carried 52 people taken to Arrecife by the Talía Guard. The final vessel, with 71 aboard, was intercepted south of Tenerife.
Over the weekend, authorities recorded 25 barges in Canary waters, leading social services to manage 128 new children in addition to more than 3,000 minors already welcomed by the community. Clavijo reminded that the central government has the capacity to allocate unaccompanied minors among the islands and expressed regret over the collapse of the earlier agreement to transfer 700 people to the mainland.
Clavijo said he tried contacting the Ministry of Social Rights, led by Ione Belarra, without success. In a related note, the Canary Islands bishops issued a statement calling for solidarity from other regions, noting that the archipelago cannot shoulder this burden alone.
El Hierro: a new tipping point
The president warned that El Hierro cannot absorb this strain any longer, saying its resources have been overwhelmed. Since Tuesday, 2,355 arrivals have appeared in irregular status on this island, including 385 on the previous day. Although some minors and adults have been relocated to other islands, the growing influx has pressured all the ports. Evidence of congestion included a Sunday morning scene at Los Cristianos pier where 200 migrants slept on the ground due to insufficient space in the Temporary Care Centers for Aliens. Security operations in the area are running around the clock.
Meridian Island has limited capacity to house minors. Only 50 can be accommodated in its facilities, yet more than 230 are currently housed there. Island Council President Alpidio Armas criticized Clavijo for what he described as inaction by the Ministry of Social Welfare amid a crisis that is stretching resources on an island with a population of just over 11,000. He affirmed that the youths were provided with shelter, meals, and beds, but access to education and integration programs remained unavailable, stressing that even the best intentions face real limits.
Public statements from Social Welfare indicate that since the political and social crisis in Senegal intensified, 573 minors have arrived on El Hierro, with 340 transferred to the archipelago’s capital islands. It was also noted that an additional 150 people are expected to depart El Hierro’s centers in the coming days. Meanwhile, adults continued to move to make room, and a state-chartered vessel, authorized for this purpose, sent 280 people to Tenerife after another 584 migrants were moved on Saturday.
Clavijo criticized the central government for not acting decisively to coordinate with the Canary Islands, though Madrid maintains that Spain possesses the necessary personnel and resources to address the situation. He argued that the rise in ships is temporary and that a genuine policy of cooperation with Senegal and Mauritania exists to halt barges at their points of origin.
Health spending and response
Since last Tuesday, 2,355 people reached the island in irregular status, straining the health services of Meridian Island. Yesterday, Cabildo President Alpidio Armas condemned the lack of tools needed to confront the migration crisis, highlighting shortages in health centers, particularly in El Pinar. Fernando Clavijo noted that El Hierro’s health workers are enduring long shifts to care for new arrivals. To counter the collapse of the Canary Health Service on El Hierro, Clavijo has joined forces with the College of Physicians to bring in retired professionals and, with the Red Cross, to lead a hospital-aid campaign in El Pinar. A humanitarian official explained that a state agreement covers care through 2026 but emphasized the need for reinforcements during peak moments. Expenditures related to these efforts reached 3.5 million euros for the community through August, with a notable share allocated to the Meridional area as health recovery progressed. The health system notes that this year’s response has put a larger strain on resources than in previous years, underscoring the urgent need for sustained support.