Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the number of migrants arriving in the Canary Islands from West Africa, and (2) the case for agreed European policies.

According to the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, 8,102 people have arrived in the Canary Islands via sea so far this year, representing a significant increase on 2019. The dangers have been highlighted before, with an estimated 140 fatalities during an attempted crossing from Senegal to the Canary Islands on 24 October.

The EU Commission published proposals for a new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum on 24 September. This will be for EU Member States to agree. We will welcome balanced and holistic European approaches that mirror the UK's commitment to a 'whole of route' approach.