Publication

This paper examines what triggered the refugee crisis in the Canary Islands in 2006, during which thousands of people risked their lives to reach the archipelago. The text’s author also looks at why almost no migrants head to the Islands today and what lessons we can learn from the 2006 case. The latter include 1) involving whole governments and interested stakeholders to craft a viable response; 2) pursuing a coherent regional strategy to address the factors that are provoking the migration; 3) ensuring that saving lives takes precedence over border management; and 4) putting mechanisms in place to protect migrant rights if they are to be returned to their point of departure.