90-Second Read: Hantavirus ship approaches Tenerife as residents express anger and resignation

As the MV Hondius cruise ship approaches Tenerife, the people of the Spanish island await it with a mixture of uncertainty and, in some cases, anger. The Spanish government has agreed with the World Health Organization (WHO) that the passengers of the vessel, which has seen an outbreak of the Hantavirus, should be allowed to disembark there this weekend. On Friday, some Tenerife dock workers gathered outside the Canary Islands' parliament building in the town of Santa Cruz, to voice concerns that the imminent arrival could pose a health risk for them. Some on the Spanish island worry that the imminent arrival of the MV Hondius could pose a health risk. Some of her colleagues have threatened to block the arrival of the cruise ship if their demands are not.

It will not dock directly in Tenerife but will instead anchor out at sea and its passengers will be ferried to the vast industrial port of Granadilla, in the south-east of the island, well away from residential areas. Soon after their arrival they will be repatriated, or, in the case of the 14 Spaniards aboard, taken to Madrid to be quarantined. The authorities insist there will be no contact between passengers and local residents who "will be absolutely and completely protected", according to Virginia Barcones, head of Spain's civil protection agency. They blew whistles, sounded vuvuzelas and brandished banners. We're unhappy at the idea of being allowed to work in a port without special safety measures or information when an infected boat is approaching," said Joana Batista, of a local.

It has travelled from Cape Verde, where three people were evacuated due to illness. Local people need to be told how this will affect them, how the passengers will be transported. This is the last straw when it comes to everything the people of the Canary Islands have to put up with," she said, an apparent reference to the continuing arrival of thousands of undocumented migrants in boats from North and West Africa. More than 3,000 people died in 2025 trying to reach the Canary Islands, often in makeshift dinghies, according to NGO Caminando Fronteras. We need reassurance above all." Nearby, watching the protest, was nutritionist María de la Luz Sedeño, who agreed with much of what the demonstrators were demanding and could barely contain her fury.

If the boat is going to stop here, then it can do so, but with the necessary measures in place. Now I'm a bit calmer because there's more information," says Marialaina Retina Fernández, a pensioner, who describes the local healthcare facilities as "the best there is". For some Canary islanders, hosting migrants is a source of pride, while for others, like Sedeño, it is a cause of frustration. But they all seem to agree that migration makes their territory the focus of an international drama. Pope Leo is due to visit in June and meet migrants and organisations dedicated to helping them.