SPANISH authorities have dismantled the bulk of a makeshift camp for migrant processing, known as the “dock of shame,” for holding thousands of people from Africa in unfit conditions.

The Spanish government’s delegation in the Canary Islands confirmed today that all the 830 people who were being held on Friday at the Arguineguin dock, on the south-western coast of Gran Canaria island, had been moved out by Sunday night to other makeshift military facilities and hotels.

The facility has been criticised by human rights organisations and the office of Spain’s ombudsman, which protects and defends the rights and liberties of citizens, for its poor conditions. 

Many migrants were left to sleep with just a blanket and no showers. Potential asylum-seekers had no proper access to legal advice and some were held for much longer than the three days allowed by law, critics have said.

More than 20,000 people seeking a better life have arrived so far this year in the Spanish archipelago, up from 1,500 in 2019. 

According to the United Nations’ International Organisation for Migration, at least 500 have died while attempting to reach the islands, which they see as a stepping stone into Europe.