More than 280 migrants arrived safely today by boat in El Hierro, Canary Islands, following one of the most dangerous sea crossings in the world, Spanish authorities announced.

They are 278 men and ten minors, the Spanish authorities say, underlining that it is the largest number of migrants ever to arrive in the Canary Islands on a single ship. The migrants came from “sub-Saharan Africa,” according to rescuers, who took care of them upon arrival.

Spain, and in particular the Canary Islands archipelago off the African coast, is one of the main points of entry for irregular migrants into Europe.

14,976 migrants arrived in the Canary Islands between January 1 and September 30, an increase of 19.8% compared to the same period in 2022, according to the latest figures from the Spanish Interior Ministry.

For years now, the migratory route to the Canary Islands has become busy due to the strengthening of controls in the Mediterranean. Wrecks that occur in this area are frequent, as the gap is particularly dangerous.

Non-governmental organizations are reporting many shipwrecks — unofficial estimates put dozens if not hundreds of people dead, according to NGOs — in the territorial waters of Morocco, Spain and international waters.

Since the beginning of 2023, 140 migrants have died or gone missing during this crossing, according to International Organization for Migration (IOM) data obtained in early September.

The Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras which, unlike IOM, relies on emergency calls to irregular migrants at sea or their relatives, estimates that 778 migrants have died or gone missing on this migration route in the first six months.