The immigration pressure on the Canary Islands from nearby West Africa is constant, with last year reaching a new record.
The illegal immigration via the Canary Islands makes up two thirds of all the illegal arrivals for the whole country; i.e., 44,000 of the 60,000 in 2024.

Obviously, those that are not sent back, do not remain there but rather, under a solidarity scheme, they are shared out between the different provinces of Spain, with the help of the Spanish Red Cross (Cruz Roja) or the Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid (CEAR).
The last mass transfer to our neighbouring province of Málaga took place last weekend, when 360 Sub-Saharan men were temporarily lodged in the 4-Star Hotel, Oh Nice Caledonia in Benahavís. The premises is being managed by Engloba, which looks after and gives advice to these immigrants.
The 360 immigrants are not under arrest and are free to come and go although pending expulsion from Spain. According to official figures, 1,300 illegal immigrants have been relocated to Málaga, the majority of whom, (895) were housed in the 4-Star, Urban Dream Hotel in El Morche, in Torrox-Costa.
It is important to point out that whilst these buildings are used as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers in the process of having their cases considered, they are not officially hotels anymore and much less providing 4-Star service.
Around a hundred were housed during the summer (June/July) in the residency build for nuns, Assumption, in metropolitan area of Churriana. When it was shut down they was transferred to Roquetas de Mar in Almería, and La Chana in the metropolitan area of Granada.
Going back to El Morche, 30% of the people who have passed through this hotel already have obtained work permits and most of these work in the agriculture sector.
So where are these immigrants coming from? The majority (64%) come from Mali, then Senegal 13.8%) Mauritania (5.59%), Morocco (5.39%), Guinea Conakry (3.75%), Gambia (2.93%), Ivory Coast (1.41 %), Guinea Bissau (1.17%), Burkina Faso (0.47%), Nigeria (0.35%). Finally in Africa, Ghana and Togo account for 0.12%.
Some illegal immigrants who arrive in Spain are sent back immediately, others await an individual case study which can be accepted or rejected. Another factor is whether there exists an extradition treaty with the country of origin.
The asylum process can take a long time so after two years if their cases have not reached a conclusion, then they will automatically be allowed to stay having put down “roots” in Spain.
Editorial comment: we are indebted to E. Cabezas for having used as a source his article, which you can read here.
(News: El Morche, Torrox-Costa, Axarquia, Malaga, Andalucia – Photo: E Cabezas)
Keywords: Illegal Immigration, Canary Islands, Malaga, Red Cross, Oh Nice Caledonia, Urban Dream Hotel
Reader’s comment: “Excuse the cynic in me. Ex 4 star hotels. I do wonder how much these hotels are getting from the taxpayers cash cow.
30% of these illegal mostly men. Somehow get work permits to do the cheap , labour intensive work. Required on the land.
If delayed in processing after two years. Can stay put. Even though illegal immigrants. Now legal. How does that work on the financial and logistical front. I’d hope that now being legal they have somewhere to live. Or is the ex 4 Star hotel now home. Hardly a deterrent for desperate people from desperate countries.” – Patrick Barry Storey
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