The Board of Directors of Canary Ports has ratified the new name of the external dock of Mogán port, replacing the stigma of the 2020 migration crisis. The site is thus consecrated as a symbol of solidarity and memory.
The Board of Directors of Canary Ports has definitively approved the name Muelle de la Esperanza for the external dock of Arguineguín port, in the Gran Canaria municipality of Mogán. With this ratification, the port enclave is officially baptised with the name that has already been informally used for months, in an attempt to transform the narrative of one of the hardest episodes the archipelago has experienced.
The decision, driven by the public entity itself and the Government of the Canary Islands, represents a symbolic turn from the period when this same space was known as the "dock of shame." It was in 2020, when the massive arrival of small boats caused the overcrowding of thousands of migrants in its facilities and placed the Canary Islands at the centre of the humanitarian emergency.
The managing director of Canary Ports, José Gilberto Moreno, explained that the ratification "consolidates a space that represents the values of solidarity, welcome, and humanity that have always characterised the Canary Islands." In his speech, he emphasised that the aim is for this dock to be remembered for the ability of the Canary land to extend a hand to those who needed it most.
"The Muelle de la Esperanza is today a place of memory and recognition. With this agreement, we pay tribute to all the people and institutions that worked tirelessly during the migration crisis and help ensure that future generations understand what happened here from a perspective of dignity and hope."
The new name gained particular significance on June 11, when Pope Leo XIV visited the archipelago and chose this very site to meet with migrants, volunteers, and professionals involved in humanitarian care. It was the first visit by a pontiff to the Canary Islands and left images that circulated worldwide.
Following that visit, the regional government and Canary Ports organised an institutional event where a commemorative plaque with the new name was unveiled. At that same event, a cross made from wood from boats used by migrants during their journey to the Islands was blessed, a symbol that the Holy Father himself blessed as an emblem of welcome and fraternity.
This space thus becomes a permanent recognition of the work of entities such as Caritas, Maritime Rescue, the security forces, public administrations, and the entire Canary society. All of them were key players in responding to one of the greatest humanitarian challenges the archipelago has faced in recent decades.
For the residents of Mogán and the whole of Gran Canaria, the ratification holds double value: on one hand, it closes a chapter marked by images of saturation and suffering; on the other, it consolidates a place of memory that invites reflection on the collective response given during those months. The port of Arguineguín ceases to be just a geographical point to become a symbolic reference.
The decision by Canary Ports does not imply changes in port operations or the services provided in the area. It is exclusively a change of identity aimed at ensuring that the enclave is known in the future for the values that now define it. The already installed plaque and the blessed cross remain as visible elements of this new phase.
With this ratification, the Government of the Canary Islands and Canary Ports intend for the name Muelle de la Esperanza to be fixed on maps and official documents. From now on, any reference to the external dock of Arguineguín port must use this name, which will also be incorporated into signage and administrative records.
The ratification event adds to other gestures promoted in recent months to preserve the memory of the migration crisis from a dignity perspective. The wooden cross, placed in a visible location within the premises, has already become a meeting point for those who want to remember what happened and pay tribute to those who lost their lives on the Canary route.
The decision by Canary Ports comes at a time when the Atlantic route remains active, with arrivals of small boats to the Islands occurring almost weekly. The new name of the Arguineguín dock aims to be, precisely, a counterpoint to that reality: a reminder that, despite the difficulties, the response from the Canary Islands was and continues to be one of solidarity.
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