At least 10,457 migrants died or disappeared while trying to reach Spain by sea in 2024, an NGO said on Thursday, more than 50% more than last year and the most since it began keeping a tally in 2007.
The 58% increase includes 1,538 children and 421 women, migrants rights group ‘Caminando Fronteras‘ (‘Walking Borders’) said in a report which covers the period from 1 January up to 5 December 2024.
It amounts to an average of 30 deaths per day, up from around 18 in 2023.
The group compiles its data from hotlines set up for migrants on vessels in trouble to call for help, families of migrants who went missing and from official rescue statistics.
It blamed the use of flimsy boats and increasingly dangerous routes as well as the insufficient capacity of maritime rescue services for the surge in deaths.
‘These figures are evidence of a profound failure of rescue and protection systems. More than 10,400 people dead or missing in a single year is an unacceptable tragedy,’ the group’s founder, Helena Maleno, said in a statement.
The victims were from 28 nations, mostly in Africa, but also from Iraq and Pakistan.
The vast majority of the fatalities – 9,757 – took place on the Atlantic migration route from Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands, which has received a record number of migrants for the second year in a row.
Seven migrant boats landed in the archipelago on Christmas Day, Spain’s maritime rescue service said on X (Twitter).
At their closest point, the Canaries lie 100 km off the coast of North Africa. The shortest route is between the coastal town of Tarfaya in southern Morocco and the island of Fuerteventura in the Canaries.
But the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands is particularly dangerous because of strong currents.
Along with Italy and Greece, Spain is one of the three major European gateways for migrant arrivals. According to the interior ministry, 60,216 migrants entered Spain irregularly between 1 January and 15 December – a 14.5% increase over the same time last year. The majority, over 70%, landed in the Canaries. ALSO READ: Spain registers all-time record of migrants reaching the Canary Islands.
In February, Spain pledged €210 million in aid to Mauritania to help it crack down on human smugglers and prevent boats from taking off. ALSO READ: Spanish government unveils 3-year strategy to boost ties with Africa.
‼️En 2024, han muerto 10.457 personas en las fronteras españolas, el año más mortífero desde que tenemos registros#DerechoAlaVida2024 #MuertePorMigrar #TragediaSilenciada pic.twitter.com/SLqqalS3bA
— Caminando Fronteras (@walkingborders) December 26, 2024
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