The Canary Islands are known for their role as one of the EU's main migration gateways for people who have taken the route via West Africa. Medierthe retrieval dominated by images of rescue operations and arriving boats, but rrescue workers and local residents testifies to a broader story.
“For me, the bigger problem is tourism. Rents, prices – everything is going up. Wages are stagnant,” says Javier, referring to the fact that it is tourism – not the arrival of refugees – that is affecting everyday life the most.
It is an unexpected response in a region often associated with a completely different problem. For most people outside the Canary Islands, it is migration, in the form of refugees arriving from West Africa, that appears to be the islands' biggest social challenge. It is also this image that dominates news reporting.
It is also jthat reality that meets Javier in his dailya work. He lives on Fuerteventura, but works as a captain on the Salvamento Marítimo rescue boat at La Gomera, southwest of Tenerife. In his work, he assists migrants who arrive in so-called canoes – simple wooden boats that are often severely overcrowded when they reach the Canary Islands from the west coast of Africa.
The boats often depart from Senegal and Mauritania, carrying up to 300 people at a time – people all hoping for a future in Europe. It is a dangerous journey, and many tens of thousands have died on the way, but for human smugglers it is a lucrative trade.
- VEach person pays two to three thousand euros. That's over half a million per boat., says Javier.
In recent years, the number of migrants arriving in Europe via this route has increased significantly. From 23,023 arrivals in 2020, to the record in 2024 when 46,843 people arrived on the islands Most locals are welcoming, but it is a fact that this amount of people is also a strain on the communities in the Canary Islands that are already struggling with a lack of infrastructure, a housing crisis and high unemployment.
To prevent departures from West Africa, Spain has therefore established cooperation with Senegal and Mauritania in 2025. It works – the number of boat migrants decreased by 60 percent compared to the previous year, reports InfoMigrants, a website funded by the EU and focused on migration news. Javier confirms:
– Five years ago it was crazy here. Now it's much calmer. Spain is paying the countries in West Africa to stop the departures and it's working.
Despite the extensive migration in recent years, Javier believes that it is not the migration that fundamentally changes the daily lives of local people the most – but tourism.
Overtourism and housing crisis – the real concern
Javier believes that it is becoming increasingly difficult for locals to afford to live on the island, and that this is primarily a consequence of increased tourism and holiday accommodation. This is confirmed by statistics. A report from May 2025 shows that over half of all homes in the Canary Islands are used as holiday homesIf Currently, few new homes are being built for the islanders. The consequence is that rents and prices have more than doubled since 2015, and many households are now adding 47–55 percent of their income on accommodationIn Sweden, Statistics Sweden estimates the corresponding figure at around 23 percent.
When I talk to another local resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, the opinion is the same.
– The big investors are ruining it for the locals. No one can afford a house, land, or even rent anymore. Says the man, whom we can call Miguel.
But how did it get like this? Miguel believes that the Corona pandemic created “the perfect storm.” When distance work became widespread, the Canary Islands were marketed as a place where you can live and work in beautiful weather, all year round. Once the pandemic was over, tourist flows hit record highs. This attracted more high-income earners and investors. Most homes were converted into holiday homes. At the same time, a lack of regulation has contributed to prices rising sharply.
But the problem is not just about housing prices, but also about culture and identity.
– Three out of four people living in Fuerteventura are not from the island. We are losing culture, identity, traditions, says Javier.
Miguel experiences the same, but also believes that tourism brings with it a concern for the environment.
– Tourists think they can do whatever they want. They set fires on beaches, litter and drive cars over sensitive flora.
Javier and Miguel are not the only ones who consider tourism and the accompanying housing crisis a problem. The movement Canary Islands Has a Limit has become a leading figure in the resistance to mass tourism.
In May 2025, they gathered over 23,000 protesters on all seven main islands, demanding an end to uncontrolled tourism and the protection of nature and local communities. They believe that the authorities must take more control by pausing hotel construction, regulating short-term rentals and preventing speculative home purchases by foreign investors.
So why does migration dominate news coverage of the Canary Islands, while tourism's problems are rarely mentioned? According to Miguel, it's about what creates drama.
- Migration creates debate, it stirs emotions and makes headlines. But no one cares that tourism is a problem – even though it is the one that changes our lives the most.
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