Over 10,400 migrants died or went missing at sea trying to reach Spain in 2024, according to a report by the Spanish NGO "Caminando Fronteras", quoted by Agence France-Presse, BTA reported.
This number is equivalent to an average of 30 people dying every day from the beginning of the year until December 15, according to a press release from the NGO, which warns maritime authorities about the presence of boats in distress. The number of deaths recorded by the organization has increased by 58% compared to last year, when it counted 6,618 migrants who died or went missing on the migration routes to Spain.
According to the report, 421 women and 1,538 children and adolescents were among the dead. "These figures highlight the profound failure of rescue and protection systems", said Helena Maleno, coordinator of the report, condemning the "unacceptable tragedy". She called for "to prioritize the protection of the right to life, to speed up search and rescue operations and to guarantee justice for the victims and their families".
The dead and missing migrants came from at least 28 countries, mainly in Africa, but also from Iraq and Pakistan. According to NGO data, the majority of the victims (9,757) were registered while crossing the Atlantic Ocean between the northwestern coast of Africa and the Canary Islands. It was along this route yesterday, on Christmas Day, that seven boats were rescued, Spanish sea rescuers told "Ex".
In recent months, the number of migrants entering Spain illegally through the Canary Islands has increased sharply, until at the end of November it exceeded the annual record set in 2023, according to data from the Ministry of the Interior. According to the ministry, 60,216 migrants arrived in the Spanish archipelago between January and mid-December, compared with 52,591 for the whole of last year, an increase of 14.5%.
This has prompted authorities in the Canary Islands to warn that they are unable to cope with the influx of unaccompanied minors who must be cared for in reception centers. According to authorities, thousands of people have died in recent years trying to reach Europe along the Atlantic route, mainly through the Canary Islands. Despite frequent shipwrecks, this route is becoming increasingly attractive because it is less controlled than the Mediterranean, AFP notes.