In 2024, a staggering 46,843 individuals reached Spain’s Canary Islands via the increasingly perilous Atlantic migration route, according to the Spanish interior ministry. This represents the highest number of arrivals to the archipelago in a single year, contributing to a total of 63,970 irregular migrant entries across Spain. The overall figure marks a sharp rise from the 56,852 recorded in 2023, with the Canary Islands accounting for the vast majority of this increase.
The European Union’s border agency, Frontex, reported that while irregular crossings into the EU decreased by 40% from January to November 2024, the Atlantic route saw a 19% increase. Many of the migrants came from Mali, Senegal, and Morocco, driven by ongoing conflicts in the Sahel, widespread unemployment, and climate change impacts on agricultural livelihoods.
The Atlantic migration route, which spans departure points in Senegal, The Gambia, Mauritania, and Morocco, has earned the grim title of the world’s deadliest. Last week, at least 69 migrants, including 25 from Mali, perished when a boat capsized en route to the Canary Islands from West Africa.
A report from NGO Caminando Fronteras revealed that at least 10,457 migrants died or went missing at sea while attempting to reach Spain between January 1 and December 5, 2024. This figure is a 50% increase from 2023 and the highest recorded since the NGO began tracking these numbers in 2007. The rise in fatalities is attributed to factors such as overcrowded and poorly maintained boats, treacherous waters, and inadequate rescue resources.
Migrant advocacy group Walking Borders has strongly criticized European governments for prioritizing immigration control over saving lives. The group cited arbitrary rescue efforts, criminalization of migrants, and insufficient resources as key contributors to the rising death toll at sea.
As migration continues to rise on this dangerous route, humanitarian organizations are urging a shift in policy that prioritizes human lives over border security. The crisis underscores the urgent need for comprehensive, humane migration solutions to address the root causes driving people to undertake these perilous journeys.
