Fewer applications, but not fewer people fleeing. Asylum applications in the Canary Islands fell by 11% during 2024, a decrease that the Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid (CEAR) attributes to increasing bureaucratic obstacles hindering access to international protection. According to its Annual Report presented today, the Archipelago recorded 7,667 applications —954 fewer than the previous year— mostly submitted by citizens from Venezuela, Colombia, Mali, Senegal, Cuba, Peru, Gambia, Guinea, Morocco, Ivory Coast, and Honduras. By province, Las Palmas received 4,221 applications, while Santa Cruz de Tenerife registered 3,446.
