In 2024, more than 10,000 migrants have died while attempting to reach Spain by sea, mainly across the Atlantic Ocean. This was reported in a study published on Thursday by a Spanish migrant rights organization.
On average, 30 people died every day, according to the group Caminando Fronteras (“Walking Borders”). This is a 58% increase compared to last year. Thousands of migrants left West Africa in 2024, heading for the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago that has become an important stepping stone on the way to continental Europe.
According to Caminando Fronteras, most of the 10,457 deaths recorded by December 15 occurred on the so-called Atlantic Route, one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world. The statistics are based on testimonies from migrant families and official data from rescues. Among the dead were 1,538 children and 421 women. April and May were the deadliest months.
The organization also noted an increase in the number of boats departing from Mauritania, which has become the main point of departure for the Canary Islands route. In response, Spain pledged in February to allocate 210 million euros to assist Mauritania in combating smugglers and preventing boat departures.
According to Spain’s Ministry of the Interior, by December 15 of this year, more than 57,700 migrants had arrived in the country by boat, an increase of about 12% compared to the same period last year. The majority of them arrived via the Atlantic.
