Over 10,000 Migrants Died on the Sea Route to Spain in 2024

A Spanish NGO reported that in 2024, more than 10,000 migrants lost their lives while attempting to reach Spain by sea. The report from the NGO 'Caminando Fronteras', published on Thursday, January 6, indicates that an average of 30 migrants died daily in their efforts to reach Spain by boat. The organization's statistics, derived from information collected by migrant families and official rescue statistics, show a 58% increase in the mortality rate of migrants on this route. According to the report, tens of thousands of migrants moved from West Africa towards the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago near the African coast, which is recognized as a transit bridge to Europe, with more migrants heading there each day. The Spanish Ministry of the Interior announced that by December 15, 2024, over 57,700 migrants had arrived in Spain by sea, reflecting an approximately 12% increase compared to the same period last year. Most of these migrants entered through the Atlantic Ocean route. The statistics from 'Caminando Fronteras' also indicate that more than 10,457 deaths recorded by December 15, 2024, occurred on the route known as the 'Atlantic Route'; among them, 1,538 children and 421 women were identified. The report states that the months of April and May were the deadliest months of 2024 for migrants on the Atlantic route, which is recognized as one of the most dangerous routes in the world. Additionally, the data published by 'Caminando Fronteras' shows a significant increase in the number of boats moving from Mauritania towards the Canary Islands in 2024. In February 2024, Spain committed to providing €210 million (approximately $218 million) to Mauritania to help the country combat human trafficking and prevent boat departures. Spain is one of the main destinations for refugees seeking a better life and heading towards the green continent. However, every year, statistics reveal the loss of many individuals. In recent years, the route from Senegal, passing through the waters of western Mauritania to reach the Canary Islands, has become one of the main migration routes from Africa to the European Union. Although thousands manage to reach the Canary Islands via this route, hundreds also lose their lives each year, with their bodies later washed ashore on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. At least 9 were killed and 48 missing following the sinking of a migrant boat near the Canary Islands. European countries are each separately trying to intensify their strict policies towards refugees, and accordingly, some of them began increasing border controls this year. Meanwhile, thousands of other migrants from East African countries, including Ethiopia and Somalia, risk their lives to reach wealthy Gulf Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with some losing their lives along the way.