Latest news with #CanaryIslands
Reuters
4 hours ago
- General
- Reuters
Migrant children who died meters from shore buried in Canary Islands
Funerals were held on Friday afternoon (May 30) for migrants, including children, who died when their boat capsized near La Restinga port on the island of El Hierro, Canary Islands. The capsizing occurred on Wednesday just meters from the shore, cutting short the hopes of those seeking a better life in Europe. Rachel Graham reports.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Seven migrant women and children died metres from shore in Canary Islands
MADRID (Reuters) -Seven migrant women and children who died when their boat capsized just metres from shore in Spain's Canary Islands were buried on Friday at the La Restringa harbour where they had hoped to find safety. Two five-year-old girls and a 16-year-old were among the dead, emergency services said. The migrant boat capsized as rescuers were escorting it to port at La Restringa on the El Hierro island on Wednesday, the services said. "I heard the screams and didn't hesitate. Like any citizen faced with an emergency or an accident, I got in my car, rushed to where the boat was, and helped however I could," Javier Iglesias, a La Restringa resident, said at the funeral of the seven, which was also attended by surviving migrants. "What really moves you and leaves an impression is when you see the faces, the expressions of those people who didn't reach their dream, just five metres from the shore." The number of migrants reaching the Canary Islands from West Africa hit an all-time high in 2024, but the number of arrivals has fallen this year, Interior Ministry data shows. In the first five months of 2024, 4,808 people died on the perilous Atlantic voyage to the Canaries after leaving Africa, according to migrant rights group Walking Borders.
Reuters
7 hours ago
- General
- Reuters
Seven migrant women and children died metres from shore in Canary Islands
MADRID, May 31 (Reuters) - Seven migrant women and children who died when their boat capsized just metres from shore in Spain's Canary Islands were buried on Friday at the La Restringa harbour where they had hoped to find safety. Two five-year-old girls and a 16-year-old were among the dead, emergency services said. The migrant boat capsized as rescuers were escorting it to port at La Restringa on the El Hierro island on Wednesday, the services said. "I heard the screams and didn't hesitate. Like any citizen faced with an emergency or an accident, I got in my car, rushed to where the boat was, and helped however I could," Javier Iglesias, a La Restringa resident, said at the funeral of the seven, which was also attended by surviving migrants. "What really moves you and leaves an impression is when you see the faces, the expressions of those people who didn't reach their dream, just five metres from the shore." The number of migrants reaching the Canary Islands from West Africa hit an all-time high in 2024, but the number of arrivals has fallen this year, Interior Ministry data shows. In the first five months of 2024, 4,808 people died on the perilous Atlantic voyage to the Canaries after leaving Africa, according to migrant rights group Walking Borders.
The Sun
21 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Brits face holiday hotspot hell as bar staff in Tenerife send ultimatum to bosses or vow they will strike in peak season
BRITS chasing the sun this summer could face fresh holiday hell as bar staff prepare to strike during peak season. It comes after 80,000 employees took to the streets in Tenerife earlier in the year demanding better pay and working conditions. 6 6 6 In a move that could spark chaos for Brits travelling to Tenerife this summer, union bosses said industrial action could start as early as July. The unions, Sindicalistas de Base and UGT, have issued bosses with an ultimatum, warning of a major walk out if they are not granted a 6.5 per cent salary bump. They have made it clear that no further negotiations will happen if these conditions are not met. This isn't the first time Tenerife has been at the centre of sweeping industrial action. Last month, cleaners and restaurant workers in the sunny hotspot took to the streets after deeming an offer from their employer not acceptable. The tourism employers' association, formed by Ashotel and AERO, had offered a four per cent increase in pay for workers, hoping it would prevent them from protesting during the Easter holidays. But unions wanted 6.25 per cent. strike against tourists. With over 170,000 tourism workers in the Canary Islands set to protest, business owners about to welcome thousands of tourists were despairing. They planned to demonstrate in all the tourist hotspots, including Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. By law, strikers have to provide a "minimum service" but the unions said hotel cleaning, food and entertainment don't fall into this category. They said they must try and preserve the health of hotel workers and provide them with the very best of working conditions. Elsewhere, locals flooded the streets to protest against mass tourism in the area. Activists vowed to storm popular tourist attractions, disrupt public events and 'confront political leaders' in a fiery new phase of protests kicking off May 18 — right as peak holiday season begins. 'From now on, we will take our fight to the very spaces where their predatory model is perpetuated,' declared pressure group Canarias tiene un límite (The Canaries Have a Limit). 'We will boycott public events, confront political leaders during their appearances and occupy symbolic tourist spaces to make it clear that we will not stop until real change is achieved.' 'The Canary Islands can no longer be a postcard backdrop for the enjoyment of a privileged few,' the statement read. In a separate warning, the group said: 'This cry, which reflects the feelings of a people tired of being ignored and mistreated, will be the beginning of a new stage of struggle: firmer, more direct, more uncomfortable for those who refuse to listen to us and take real measures.' The backlash follows a 170,000-strong hotel and restaurant workers' strike across the islands just days ago, with locals slamming low wages and poor working conditions in the booming holiday industry. In June last year, beach workers also walked off the job over what unions called "precarious" conditions. As tensions boil over, the Canary Islands Government has now announced plans to completely overhaul its outdated 30-year-old tourism laws in a landmark reform effort. Alfonso Cabello, spokesperson for the regional government, said: 'We're doing this the Canary Islands way — extending a hand and listening to everyone.' The sweeping reforms aim to tackle everything from sky-high housing costs in tourist areas to crumbling infrastructure and overworked public services. 6 6 6
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Airport chaos forces British families to 'lift children on to shoulders to stop them suffocating' amid 'inhuman' conditions as hundreds are trapped in overcrowded passport control in Tenerife
Airport chaos forced British families to 'lift children onto their shoulders to stop them suffocating' after hundreds of holidaymakers were trapped in an overcrowded passport control in Tenerife. Officials called an emergency meeting after passengers raged at the 'inhumane' conditions that saw them packed together 'like cattle' as they waited in line on Monday. The nightmare unfolded after several UK flights arrived in quick succession and caused severe delays. More than 500 people were left waiting for over two hours in sweltering conditions, as just two passport control booths staffed by four officers attempted to process the entire crowd, according to Canarian Weekly. Lourdes Torrecillas, a Tenerife resident returning from Bristol, described the situation as 'claustrophobic' and 'third world'. She told local media that passengers were made to wait 45 minutes on the plane before being allowed to disembark to passport control, only to find the airport's escalators out of service. 'Families with babies and elderly passengers had to carry their children and luggage through a packed terminal. 'Once inside, we couldn't move our arms, we could barely breathe, and people were sweating. Some parents lifted their children onto their shoulders to stop them from suffocating,' she said. 'There were no toilets, and people were visibly distressed.' Ms Torrecillas, who frequently travels to the UK, said the conditions were unacceptable, adding: 'This was an inhumane wait. 'These are people who've paid to enjoy a few days of sunshine, they shouldn't be treated like cattle.' She also raised concerns about the lack of medical support, claiming that airport staff told her similar scenes occur nearly every night - with passengers regularly fainting or experiencing serious health problems while waiting. The President of Tenerife's ruling council, Rosa Dávila, has called an emergency meeting following the incident, with chaos often ensuing during peak tourism periods. Dávila called the situation 'unacceptable' but blamed it on the continued failure to provide sufficient staff for border checks ever since the UK left the European Union. She added: 'This is a structural issue. We can't continue to operate with the same staffing levels we had pre-Brexit.' A major issue facing travellers on Monday was the inability of the airport's automated checking systems to check children's passports. This lead to families having to queue with children and baggage for hours before they could being their holidays. Dávila said she had written to mainland politicians, but received no satisfactory response. 'There's a serious lack of respect towards Tenerife. We're managing essential services locally, but without state support, we're being left to fail,' she said. Lope Afonso, Tenerife's Tourism Minister, warned: 'This is the first impression our visitors get. After hours on a plane, they're met with long waits and no explanation. It's not acceptable, and it's hurting our brand as a quality tourist destination,' he said. 'Tenerife competes globally. Other countries have adapted their systems since Brexit. Why haven't we?' He also had a warning for summer travellers, if mainland politicians don't take action, saying: 'We need immediate solutions to avoid this happening again, especially with the busy summer season ahead.'
