Over Ten Thousand Migrants Perished on Routs to Spain in 2024

In 2024, a record number of 131 flimsy boats carrying migrants vanished at sea while attempting to reach Spain, marking it as the deadliest year on record. A total of approximately 10,500 individuals lost their lives on the Atlantic and Mediterranean routes to Spanish territory over the past year, as reported by the Spain-based migrant rights group Caminando Fronteras. The group noted a significant 58 percent increase in migrant deaths on the western Euro-African border, with more people opting for precarious wooden and inflatable boats to make the journey to Europe.

The report by Caminando Fronteras revealed a staggering total of 10,457 deaths between January 1 and December 15, averaging 30 fatalities per day, up from 18 deaths daily in 2023. Among the victims were 421 women and 1,538 children and adolescents, primarily from Africa, as well as individuals from Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, and Yemen. The Atlantic route from Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands was identified as the most perilous, with 9,757 deaths recorded, largely attributed to an increase in boats departing from Mauritania.

The Algerian route in the Mediterranean emerged as the second deadliest, accounting for 517 victims, while the Strait of Gibraltar and the Alborán route claimed 110 and 73 lives, respectively. Caminando Fronteras placed responsibility for the surge in migrant deaths on Spanish authorities, accusing them of pursuing migration control policies with European support. The NGO highlighted the dangers faced by women migrants on the Atlantic route, particularly those traveling on inflatable boats known as ‘zodiacs’ between Agadir and Dakhla. The European Union and Spain have taken steps to address the escalating migrant crisis on the Atlantic route, with the EU investing nearly $220 million to bolster Mauritania’s migration management capabilities.

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