At least 10,457 migrants died trying to reach Spain by sea this year, an average of 30 deaths per day. The statistics were compiled by Spanish migration rights group Walking Borders, which said that is the most amount of deaths that it has recorded since it began tracking migrant deaths at sea back in 2007.
The report, published on Thursday, Dec. 26, shows overall deaths rose nearly 60% compared to 2023.
Walking Borders said most of the tens of thousands of migrants fleeing violence, poverty or persecution set sail from West Africa for the Canary Islands this year.
The group blamed poorly constructed boats, dangerous routes and limited rescue resources for the dramatic rise in migrant deaths at sea.
The aid group is urging the Spanish government to do more to protect and rescue migrants at sea, calling the fatalities “a profound failure of rescue and protection systems” and the latest figures “an unacceptable tragedy.”
The Canary Islands, which saw a record number of migrants for the second year in a row, said it’s overwhelmed by the surge of migrants. In October 2024, thousands of protesters demanded action to curb the number of migrants entering the Canaries illegally.
Spanish officials noted that more than 60,000 migrants, a nearly 15% increase from last year, reached Spain by boat in 2024.
The overwhelming majority of migrants reportedly came through the Atlantic route, which is notorious for its dangerously strong currents. Officials said human smugglers take the longer and more dangerous route to avoid detection by authorities.
Walking Borders said it saw a “sharp increase” this year, particularly in boats departing Mauritania, which is in northwest Africa.
In February 2024, Spain promised the African nation around $218 million to help authorities combat human smuggling operations and keep migrants from departing the nation on boats.
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