The Spain-based migrant rights group Caminando Fronteras reported a record toll of 10,547 migrants who died or went missing while attempting to reach Spain by sea in 2024. This marks a 50% increase compared to the previous year.
In its Right to Life 2024 report, the organization highlighted that the past year saw an average of 30 deaths per day, a sharp rise from 18 daily fatalities in 2023. The victims included 421 women and 1,538 children and adolescents, making it the deadliest year on record.
Caminando Fronteras blamed the surge in fatalities on insufficient rescue efforts and a focus on border control over saving lives. The report identified the Mauritania route to the Canary Islands as the deadliest, followed by the Algerian route in the Mediterranean, which accounted for 517 deaths.
The group compiles its data from migrant distress hotlines, family reports of missing relatives, and official rescue statistics. Meanwhile, Spain’s Interior Ministry reported that over 57,700 migrants successfully reached Spain by boat in 2024, a 12% increase from the previous year, with most arrivals via the Atlantic route.
