Spanish maritime authorities arrested 250 illegal immigrants on Monday in the waters near Spain's Canary Islands, Spanish emergency services said.

Authorities arrested 160 people in two boats near Tenerife and another 90 in one boat near Gomera. All the passengers appeared to be from sub-Saharan Africa.

More than 11,000 Africans have come to the Islands illegally since the start of 2006, which is more than double the figure for the whole of 2005, the Spanish government said.

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 immigrants have died attempting the dangerous crossing since late last year.

Thousands of people try to reach Europe through Spain each year and an increasing number of them set off from Mauritania and Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara.

Source: Xinhua